Of Fox and Wolf
by RStreighart
Summary: Naruto's Godfather Jiraiya was denied any chance of fathering his godson, so he searched for a guardian for Naruto. Within a hidden society of wolves, a new life born the day after his godson. After gaining their favor, Jiraiya knew he search was over...
1. Of Beginning and Companionship

Danzo managed to use his position on the council to prevent Jiraiya from caring for his godson. Because of this, the sennin used every information gathering skill he had to find someone suitable for looking after young Naruto in his absence. On the fifth anniversary of his birth and the fall of the Kyuubi, Naruto Uzumaki found that he would never be alone again.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, even the OC's name is another's.

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><p><strong>Chapter 1 Of Fox and Wolf<strong>

A memorable, if not horrific October day a great man sacrificed himself and his child to protect his village. The Yondaime Hokage used his genius at sealing and his great chakra capacities to seal the Nine-Tailed Fox into the only child in the village capable of housing the beast. Minato had plotted this last resort for at least a month before the attack actually happened, but his foil Danzo planned even further. The bastard of a man had made it certain that laws prohibited ANYONE to give away the information of the child's parentage, and even Minato who was the power of the village at the time didn't know to overturn the ruling. He even prevented the boy's godfather from taking care of his godson.

Jiraiya however expected foul play from Danzo, who was already known to want the power of the Nine-Tailed Fox's power for his own. That thought alone was more then enough fuel for the protective godfather to find someone who could protect the boy in his steed. He spoke with the head of the Toad Summons to inquire on the different types and the information necessary for a lifelong partnership from birth. Shima and Fukasaka quickly explained that even though most all summons were fiercely loyal to their summoners, they usually did not protect human children. It was a decision all of the Great Summoned Beings made to prevent robbing the child of his own identity. Both elders knew of Jiraiya's predicament so after it was realized that they could not be of much help both elders sighed and apologized, hoping that something would eventually be discovered.

The Toad Sage would not be deterred so easily though, as he used his unique ways of transportation to gather as much information as possible. He planned to present his godson with someone who would protect him from the worse of the plans that Danzo had. Jiraiya himself had resigned himself to be hated by his godson as long as the young man in question would grow up with a semi-decent childhood. He found himself lost within a forest he could not place. This fact alone was a red flag in itself, as the man had traveled most every speck of land between the great nations. Even the Toads were unaware of the place they were.

Jiraiya cautiously journeyed forward, feeling no ill intent in the area but not willing to risk his life on the miniscule chance he could be wrong. He wandered aimlessly to find his way out until he happened upon a pure white figure, beckoning him to follow. Watching the maneurisms of the creature and its pleading way of asking him to follow, Jiraiya made the decision to follow. The being, running on all four of its legs, led the Sannin deeper into the forests while allowing the man to get closer and closer as they apparently grew closer to their destination. Once the two had reached a clearing, Jiraiya noticed three important things. One, he had been led to this clearing by a pure white wolf that stood at half his own height. Two, he did not detect any of the hundreds of similar wolves at all before seeing them. Three, they wolves surrounded a mother who was having apparent trouble with her birthing.

The wolf that led him there spoke up, "Human known as Gama Sennin Jiraiya, our honorable mother is dying! We needed someone of your high chakra capacity to keep her alive..." With that statement alone, Jiraiya was willing to help, as he had just recently felt the pain of loss. The wolf spoke on, "We would not ask a free favor of you, especially not of this magnitude. We shall do what is necessary to repay such a great service." Jiraiya started to pour his life energy into the pained mother, knowing that injecting his chakra would no doubt kill the mothering wolf. The human aligned himself with the wolves in order to save the life of the mother, and created a comradery with a species who rarely showed themselves to the ninja world. The process was long and strenuous, leaving Jiraiya as a barely conscious heap beside the now lively wolf sitting beside him. Between ragged breaths, Jiraiya spoke up, "Honorable mother, I have a favor to ask..."

**Naruto, Age 5.**

Naruto had been used to the villagers hating him for some unknown reason, but he never let it effect him. The young man grew to become a prankster, but still remained harmless toward the people of the village that sheltered from the horrors of living alone. At the age of five years old, villagers had grown more empowered, by saying that he was a demon child who was not loved as he was lived without any positive human emotion. The only one to show that they cared about the young boy was the Sandaime Hokage, and even he had to do so within boundaries. His work on rebuilding Konoha's strength took up most of his time and he still needed time to fight the laws stated that no one could care for the Nine-Tailed Host. Even so, Jiraiya decided to exploit the only loophole that he could see within the laws that the Kohona Council had created. He searched for a companion who could protect the boy Naruto from the evils of Danzo and the greed of the council as he grew older.

Jiraiya's actions with the wolves, who later informed him of their status as Okami, granted the young orphan his chance at a true friend in the form of one of the newborns. The five years that passed were to ensure that the young Okami would be strong enough to stand beside his contracted companion. And as a man with a long white hair and a toad mask entered the village, the Okami watched the fated union of the two who were now to be brothers.

Naruto sat alone on an abandoned swingset, saddened by the one thing that could visibly shake his normally upbeat facade. He had made a friend out of a quiet young boy, but his parent's snatched him away. That was about thirty minutes ago, but the boy still cried. The man in the Toad mask approached and placed a gentle hand on Naruto's shoulder. Seeing the young boy flinch and cover away from the touch broke his heart, but he continued close while holding his left hand behind his back.

"Hey kid..." Jiraiya said as he tried his hardest not to wrap his godson up in his arms.

"That's a weird mask mister!" Naruto spoke up, a little louder than he intended.

Grinning under the mask, the man spoke, "I'm sure the adults have told you not to take things from strangers, but I heard that it was your birthday..."

"It is?"

Jiraiya's grin shattered. "Yes, it is...You were born October 10, little Naruto."

The five year old's eyes shined with enthusiasm that shocked the Sannin.

"And since its your birthday, I decided to make sure you'd never be alone again." Jiraiya said with a shaky voice as he revealed what was behind his back.

It was a young wolf with pure white fur and ethereally blue eyes. Its small body had tribal lines in its fur of the same blue that swam in his eyes. The young pup himself was half a foot tall, but still retaining a lot of his youthful features. The two immediately clicked as they ran around and played as if it were a daily occurance. It soon would be, and Jiraiya then knew that his decision was for the best. He turned around to walk away, but his godson tugged at his sleeve.

"THANK YOU MISTER! You're even nicer than Jiji!"

Finding it hard to turn away from the young boy, Jiraiya mentally sighed relief that the Hokage was still on his side.

"By the way... What's your name? And how'd you know it's my birthday? And can you come play with me again tomorrow?"

"I'm... just a simple toad, kid... and I know because you're a special little gaki. I can't play with you tomorrow...but I'll make sure that you'll see me again."

"Really?"

"You'd better believe it!" Jiraiya said, removing his deep sadness from his voice as he walked away.

Naruto shed mixed tears, he was sad that the nice mister was gone but elated at the promise of seeing him again and excited about his new companion. The two walked a slow pace through the dark and untraveled parts of Kohona to ensure that no villagers would attempt their "revenge" on the boy. Upon reaching the home, Naruto immediately went toward his bed and fell asleep. During this time, the Okami/companion spent time to observe his surroundings. The apartment was sturdily built but hideously kept. The person who prepared it for the boy must have been drunk and half blind in order to miss so many faults in the overall look. Nothing would be hazardous by law, but it was left in a state unsuitable for renting.

The young wolf also spent time looking at his new "brother" that he was bound to. The whisker marks on his face were comfortable to nuzzle and his personality was instantly likeable. Snuggling up to the snoring young Naruto, the Okami started to finish the last part of the necessary link between companions. He spent the night sleeping against the boy in order to link their minds. The pup had to perform the link first before he could speak to Naruto, and his pride would only allow him to introduce himself first. "Morning kid! My name's Rend Razorjaw, son of Lady Teresa, and you're my new brother!" he thought as he fell asleep and allowed the close proximity to seal the deal.

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><p>So Jiraiya cares but is bound by law not to be close, the Hokage is giving his all to fight against said law, and Naruto's "brother" and companion is an Okami! Hopefully the story of two canines coming together in brotherhood moves your HEART! (disregard the unnecessary spike in passion in that sentence) Teresa's last name is not Razorjaw, and the explanation of this fact comes in the next chapter.<p> 


	2. Of Companions and Friendship

I'm glad my story has been keeping you interested so far! The favorites and alerts made my day after a boring day at work! A quick note, Rend is polite for a child because of the way he was raised (expect flashbacks) but he will be pretty rowdy in a good way.

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><p><strong>CHAPTER 2<strong>

_**The Next Morning**_

Little Naruto nearly dismissed yesterday's gift as a cool dream, until he felt a warm tongue licking the side of his face. "Good morning Brother!" Rend 'thought' as he projected his words into his companion's mind. The still drowsy child replied a simple, "mornin..." and a few mumbles before his eyes widened. The harsh screaming of a child could be heard by every citizen in Konoha at 5:30 that morning.

"YOU CAN TALK!" yelled Naruto, making the wolf flinch.

"Not yet Brother, I'm just putting my thoughts in your head so you can hear me." Rend stated.

"Umm... does that mean you can read my mind?"

"Nope, I can only put my words in your head."

"STILL THOUGH THAT'S COOL!"

"Please, Brother... stop yelling..." Rend pleaded in his thoughts.

"...And my name's not 'Brother' either! I'm Naruto Uzumaki!"

"My name's Rend Razorjaw! Isn't it the greatest name ever!" Rend barked aloud as he thought.

The two continued to talk as the day passed, talking about how they both had similar dreams and Rend explaining the fact that they were linked. Naruto dreamt of being the Hokage one day in order to gain the people's respect and Rend wanted to become the strongest Okami. Due to the fact that the both of them were both children, neither could really understand exactly what that meant, but they both grasped the fact that they would never separate. The rest of the day was spent with Rend eventually teaching little Naruto how to project his thoughts into the young wolf's mind. That didn't mean the child was slow to learn at all, it was just difficult to explain it in a way that a five year old could understand. After that was established, Naruto and Rend did everything together. The ability to leave the house and talk to his companion without looking crazy made Naruto confident enough to take Rend on a tour of the village the next day. After a week or so, the still sour villagers started to cry out their fear of the demon's new pet and would attempt to harm it at any chance. It would prove to be a fool's mistake every time, because the normally unbreakable defense Naruto held up against the insults crashed instantly when Rend was harmed. The child would bit, scratch, and punch anyone who dared hurt his brother.

_**Naruto Uzumaki and Rend Razorjaw, Age 7**_

Hiruzen Sarutobi found out about Naruto's 'brother' two years ago, and he still felt immense pride in the fact that he had bent Danzo's laws to work in his favor. The law partially stated that the demon boy should be not be under the care of an adult due to his dangerous nature. The Hokage used this to grant his favorite gaki his own apartment to protect him from the abuse of the orphanage. This very same clause of the law was used to stop the council from complaining about the wolf. His words at that time were, "The law states that the boy can't have any adult supervision, but it did not say he couldn't have a pet. And besides, its a wolf! The wild animal could easily turn on the boy and that would end your worries FOR you." That quieted the council for a while as they eventually allowed it. It had pained him to talk about Rend that way, as the Okami had spoke with him through his thought projection on multiple occasions, but he knew it was the only way to sell them on the idea without risking an uprising. Naruto also told him about the kind Toad Man who gave him his brother. Hiruzen instantly recognized his student's hand in things, but simply kept it a secret just as Jiraiya did as a show of trust toward his student. He did however make certain to spend time with the two whenever he could, taking them to a place called Ichiraku Ramen whenever he could. The duo of Teuchi and Ayame were not only skilled at what they did, but neither of them held a grudge against the boy.

Today the duo wold not be joined by the Hokage, so they decided to play a little game they liked to call "Cat Tackle" which basically consisted of chasing some of the villagers' pets around until they pounced. Using one of the abilities of the Okami clan, Rend made a deal with the felines of the village. He would be allowed to practice hunting them, as long as he didn't harm them and sniffed out any population of field mice he could. This time was different, as it was the boss character of the entire Cat population. The Fire Daimyo's pet Tora, the paranoid and abused feline that wouldn't even connect with her fellow felines. Honestly this wasn't just a game, it was a mission from the others to bring her back into the feline society. A male cat with black fur covering all but his left front paw gathered information on the target. The cat, named Swiftpaw offered, "From what I've gathered, on the days before the Madame notices that she's gone, Tora tends to wander the Aburame grounds. The quiet humans that live there really don't pose a threat so she lays low there. From then on, when the humans realize that she's being searched for the elders tell the children and the children who control the bugs alert Tora by the bugs themselves."

"Detailed as always Swift!" Rend said to the cat, though Naruto only heard their respective sounds.

"But of course! Your brother saved me from the screeching pink haired human!"

"And she still holds that damn grudge too..."

_**Flashback: Naruto, Age 6**_

Rend started to realize that he could actually understand what other animals said to each other. Because of this, he started to try to converse with any creature that stood still long enough to listen. There were not many. But he would not be denied due to his stubborn nature so he continued on until he found the cat he would later know as Swiftpaw. The black cat was walking at a painfully slow pace as his eyes dulled with distress.

"What's wrong with you Mister?" Rend asked

"Oh great, I must look as rough as my day's been! Oh well, since you asked I need a shoulder to cry on."

Swiftpaw introduced himself, then went on about a certain pink haired woman who doted on him almost daily for the past few months. The woman, Councilwoman Haruno, would always snatch the poor feline up and rake her "sweet talking" voice into the cat's ear before shooing him off as soon as she noticed her daughter coming along. Of course Rend wanted to help, so he told Naruto about the situation. That led to a very nervous Naruto knocking on the enemy's door and asking her to stop pestering the cat. She immediately started spouting out about he was stepping out of line by even addressing her, she called him a bastard and a demon and yelled that he should go home before she finished what the Fourth Hokage started. Crushed by the harsh treatment the woman gave him, he almost when home before seeing the cat in question getting scooped up by the Haruno elder. He regained his courage.

"Stop it! You're hurting him!"

"Get away from me, you cursed little Bastard!" She said as Swiftpaw squirmed under her grasp.

"You're being too rough on the poor thing so let him GO!" Naruto yelled and Swiftpaw's eyes widened. He couldn't understand what Naruto had said but he knew that the boy was determined to help him. So he did what any cat would do to a threat and clawed at the woman.

"YOU SEE? HE DOESN'T EVEN WANT YOU HOLDING HIM YOU OLD BITCH!" Naruto screamed and caught the falling cat as he ran away from the stunned woman.

_**Flashback End**_

After receiving a good luck cheer from the informative cat, the duo sneaked into the Aburame compound. The area was well kept, but still in its essence very true to nature. The grass grew at a length that would house the insects with ease, without looking unkempt and there were many different types of plants and trees. These things would allow the younger bug users to bound with nature as well as other types of insects instead of solely relying on their clan's trademark. Rend kept his nose to the ground in an attempt to find any fresh feline scents in the area. This part would not prove difficult, since the only cat that travelled in this area was the troublesome Tora. Rend led Naruto deeper into the compound where they two eventually spotted the ribbon wearing target. Unbeknownst to them, they were also spotted by one of the children of the clan. The child started to alert the cat of their presense, but decided that it would be wiser to watch their actions first. Naruto advanced by using every obstacle he could to obstruct his target's view while Rend stalk within the grass. Shino sent one of his kikai out to warn the cat but a tad too late as the two rushed the cat from both sides, which caused the feline to make a beeline toward Shino's hidden position. The two quickly redirected themselves toward the cat and pursued at a determined pace until Naruto crashed into Shino, while Rend continued his pursuit of Tora.


	3. Of Understanding and Self

**CHAPTER 3**

_**With Naruto**_

Running and dodging while moving at his maximum speed usually isn't a problem for Naruto, but things tend to become complicated when the obsticle is a person who can naturally erase traces of his presence. The child's dark brown hair spiked upward in all directions, with his eyes being covered by a small pair of shades. The rest of his face was unable to be seen due to the high collar of the jacket he wore. Without any indication of annoyance, fear, or anything for that matter the mysterious child stood up and offered his hand. After getting Naruto to his feet he brushed his coat off, giving off a calm vibe that Naruto had never seen coming from anyone. The shaded boy spoke up first.

"Did you have a reason to pursue the feline?"

"Yup! The Kitties from the village wanted us to bring her..." Naruto had only just realized that his partner and the target ran off. "Swiftpaw told us that Tora chan would be around here and we almost had her!"

"That doesn't make much sense..."

"Oh, that's right! Jiji told me to always introduce myself to people when I met em. I'm Naruto Uzumaki!" Naruto said while seemingly ignoring the boy's statement.

"Shino Aburame."

Practically dragging him already Naruto responded, "Wanna help us catch her? It'll be run for Rend and me to have a new person to play with!"

Shino nodded his approval of this plan and Naruto started their sprint toward the main parts of the village. He projected a thought toward his brother Okami in order to find out his location. "I'm chasing her down the alley close to Ichiraku's." was the reply he was given as he charged forward. Being fairly aware of his surroundings, Naruto couldn't help but notice that even though the two children were running at a decent rate of speed Shino had never once removed his hands from his pockets. That and his odd style of dress made Naruto's opinion of the kid grow more. "Cool..." he thought to himself as he stopped paying full attention to the task at hand and knocked over a young boy with a hairstyle that resembled a pineapple. After yelling an apology, he could have sworn that he heard the word "troublesome" being mumbled as he closed the distance between them and his brother Rend.

_**With Rend**_

The Okami pup was plenty fit, but he would even admit that Tora was giving him a run for his money. There were plenty of times where the cat would have gotten away if she would have gained just a little more speed. Luckily though, being a brother to the "demon" meant that he knew all of the twists and turns in the Konoha streets in case of an emergency. Rend ran the cat in the directions that he wanted, subtly steering her into a dead end. This was about the time when Naruto asked his question on the location. Tora nearly had a panic attack at the realization that she was trapped. For hers and his defenses, if Tora wasn't used to being over loved she would have been able to see that Rend meant her no harm

"Stay back!"

"Maam calm down! I'm not here to hurt you..."

"I don't believe you! Step back some more! What are you after me for?"

This is the point where Naruto finally caught up with Rend. "I see you finally caught up with her Bro!"

"HUMAN! I don't care about the child with the bugs but keep that blond one AWAY!"

"Don't worry, my brother wouldn't dare harm you." Rend turned around, "Naruto.. she's not comfortable around you yet so back away a bit." As Naruto complied Rend said, "See? We won't bring you any harm."

Tora started to relax slightly, and Rend saw his opportunity.

"We're not asking you to deal with people, but the cats are worried about you! They asked the two of us personally to convince you to come back to them." He nodded at Naruto who already knew the plan. "As a bonus, me and my brother will assist you in escaping the other humans until you can trust people again."

The paranoid cat shakily shook hands (paws) with the duo and roamed toward the place where the felines gather. Shino simply stood back as it all happened. From his eyes, he said a wolf barking at a cat that looked horrified while mewing back and Naruto apparently understanding what the wolf was saying. He wanted to know more about this weird kid. The sun was slowly starting to go down though so he turned to the young boy and his wolf and said, "It's getting late so I have to go back home..." Shino was a quiet child by nature, so he had little experience with trying to reach out and make friends. The friends he did have all reached out to him, so he didn't know how to let Naruto know that he wanted to see him again. All of his worrying ended abruptly when the blond haired child said, "I'll be sure to play with you again next time I see you!" He then wrapped the Aburame boy into a hug, hoping that it would make Shino as happy as he always was from his Jiji's hugs. Naruto almost thought he saw a smile on the boy's face as he walked away.

"Naruto.. have you started to understand animals yet?"

"Only bits and pieces... but I don't know how I'm doin it..." he said with a frown that made him looked vulipe.

"Its the link, the more I learn the better you get at it. And I think its the same for you. Remember when you figured out what 'bitch' meant from Mister Teuchi?"

Naruto laughed out laugh at that memory. Teuchi had took it upon himself to toughening Naruto up since the villagers didn't seem as if they would let up any time soon. He taught Naruto how to throw a decent punch and helped the child learn to communicate better, except a few words a child shouldn't know. Ayame took him and Rend in as her little brothers since the two cooks had eventually learned of Rend's projection so they became a makeshift family when they met up. Teuchi made it his mission to make them rough around the edges enough to stand strong and Ayame was determined to make her little brother mannerable. It was doomed to only cause him to become a unique mix of the two. Naruto's choice of words were always on the crude side, but aside from that fact he was the perfect gentleman toward women. His naivety was his charm and the whiskers on his face only made Ayame's plan easier. She made certain that her little brother would be able to charismatically pull people closer to him, without changing a single part of his personality. Naruto and Rend spent the majority of the time they didn't train together with their makeshift family.

_**The Next Year**_

The two brothers Naruto Uzumaki and Rend Razorjaw grew more and more into each other's foil. Naruto played to things more subtly than Rend, who loved nothing more than to spout out nothing but blantant fact. Naruto eventually gained his brother's ability to understand and speak to animals, which caused Rend to learn how to speak aloud instead of thought projection. Still, the boys hide this fact from everyone except for Teuchi, Ayame, the Hokage, and Shino. They were even reunited with the "Toad Man" for a while. Jiraiya allowed himself to stay around the boy a week this visit, and his first action was to learn as much as he could about his godsons. He found out that the two of them both wanted to become great in their own respects and he found himself unable to stop a few tears from escaping his eyes as he realized that Naruto did not hate his village. Jiraiya went on to explain the basics of becoming the Hokage and being a ninja. He taught the pair about chakra, the importance of chakra control, and most importantly he taught the two of them about their bond.

**_Flashback_**

_"I'm sure that the two of you have noticed a few things about how close you are to each other. That is because of a few things. Rend, you were born the day after Naruto so the near identical birthdays makes it easier to understand each other. The Contract of Companionship as its called by your clan, is when a human gives a small amount of a child's blood to a newborn Okami in order to make them bound for life. That means that Rend will age at the exact same rate as you will Naruto and also that your lifespan Naruto will be lengthened just like an Okami's life is longer than most canines. You'll probably live to see 150 years old, maybe more if you eat and live healthly! But the main reason why you two are so entuned to each other is because of how much you care about each other. You two are inseparable right now, but within the next few years that bound will become something no one has known before..." Jiraiya said underneath his mask._

**_Flashback End_**

The pair went about pranking the people who despised them and caring for the ones who were willing to care back. Shino was still a fairly quiet person, but he was frequently seen around the "demon boy" and his "damned animal" as they ran around. The Aburame had heard warning about this, but they weren't ignorant of the truth and actually encouraged Shino to continue playing with them. He even started to really enjoy ramen alongside Naruto, whereas Rend just enjoyed the meat and dismissed the rest of the meal as palatable. There was even an argument between the two big enough for them to wrestle each other for a bit, only ending with the two of them laughing at their own expenses. Teuchi pretty much insisted that the three males would call him "Ossan" when they saw him and the Hokage surprised everyone next by telling Teuchi to call him Hiruzen instead of being formal. Hiruzen Sarutobi enjoyed the lax company the children had with their elder and felt drawn into the feelings of familiarity. He decided one day that this would be the spot he frequented when he finally was allowed to retire.

By the age of nine, Naruto and Rend became more aware of their differences and played to those strengths. If they were hunting, Rend used his agility and tracking skills to corner the prey and Naruto used his strength and stamina to either overwhelm the prey instantly or whittle down its energy. They both declined to receive any ninja training before they reached academy age, saying that it would be easier to prove the people wrong on their disrespect if the two shined through their adversity. But that didn't mean that Teuchi didn't have a trick up his sleeve.

_**Flashback**_

_"Naruto!"_

_"Yes Ossan?"_

_"How about you learn how to fight like you're good ol Uncle used to?"_

_Naruto's eyes shined, but then he remembered his promise. "I would, but I'm not allowing myself to train as a ninja right now."_

_"I never was a ninja. I used to run with a wild bunch back in the day, I'll have to tell you about it one day. And I was a brawler, so you can learn this just fine!"_

_**Flashback End**_

Naruto trained with Teuchi at the end of every day in order to get the young boy to understand the basics of boxing. Teuchi told him that boxing was his basis for his wild style of fighting, so he would learn boxing up until he entered the academy. After throwing a deliberately weakened blow toward Naruto to dodge, Teuchi explained, "Brawling is complex style because there is no set style. You hone your reflexes through each fight and gain as much as you can from the next style. Boxing creates easily exposed and weak legs." He demonstrates as he easily sweeps the boy off of his feet. "So you would have to learn more about attackin with your legs." He helps Naruto up and then knees him in the gut. "Linear styles that follow a pattern allows your oponent to read your movements and counter an attack they would normally suffer from" Naruto absorbed the information as he attempted a sloppy kick to the side of Teuchi's head. The elder attempted a block, but was surprised as Naruto used his smaller body and his hands to propel himself up and over the older mans head. Naruto intended to throw a solid jab at the top of his head, but Teuchi weaved his body backwards. "Good show Kid! But you left yourself open!" Teuchi said as he lifted his knee up to interrupt Naruto's fall, nearly rendering the boy unconscious. "And THAT, Naruto, is a brawler. You gain your experience through each fight and create a style all your own to claw your way to the top! Using that strategy, you might become a legend one day!" Teuchi proclaimed as he picked up his weary student and made sure to get some food in his stomach before allowing him time to recollect himself and head home.


	4. Of Nature and Emotion

**CHAPTER 4**

**_Naruto and Rend, Age 10_**

Rend would be the first to start complaining about how time was not moving fast enough for them. Academy classes for them would start about two months before they would turn eleven and they both were feeling the anticipation on the day after Rend's birthday. The families with enough money and the ninja clan children would be receiving their third year of education when Naruto and Rend would only be just starting out. Sandaime Hokage had to fight those first two years to gain them the right to enroll. The two children knew this and their patience had grown, but the two were in fact still children. Brawler training continued with increasing momentum every day. Teuchi, who hadn't been as active as of late, had regained a good deal of his previous endurance. This meant that instead of individually teaching Naruto and Rend, he could rotate between the two in order to build up experience in facing multiple opponents. His increased health due to the exercise also allowed him to return to one of his favorite hobbies before Ayame was born, blacksmithing. Ayame wanted wanted the experience of working alone to increase her skills as a chef, so the new hobby proved to be a win-win situation. The Okami Brothers, as Ayame loved to call them, spend most of their time hunting for meat, hanging with Shino, and helping the villagers' animals with whatever problems that came about over time. Eventually one of their mission involving a certain Hummingbird led the three (Shino tagged along from time to time) toward the Yamanaka clan home.

The bird who needed assistance was one that frequented only the places with the most adored and well cared for flowers, boasting that he had the most refined pallet for nectars and that pollenation using him as a means would ensure a great flower would bloom from the seeds. The job was simple, (or simple to the one who asked for help) to somehow convey the hummingbird's feelings toward one of the caretakers. The Hummingbird had grown fond of the youngest of the Yamanaka clan due to her kindness in feeding him every time he came to enjoy the flowers in their shop. One day she motioned him to perch on her finger and that made the foolish bird fall in a bad way for the young girl. The dilemma was obvious to the brothers though, since it would probably scare her to death if Rend even attempted to talk to her and she'd think that Naruto was crazy if he tried anything like a confession himself. Then the thought hit him.

"Rend! You have to do this!"

"What ME? How in hell do you think that'll work?"

"Let me finish and I'll tell you!"

"All ears..."

"Ask the bird again to tell you want he wants to be said. Then you'll need to remember the way that his voice sounds as he says it..."

Rend's eyes started to light up, partially seeing what his brother was planning.

"Then we'll get him to perch on her finger and look into her eyes as you project your thoughts into her using his voice. We'll both have to be in the room for this to work, so I'll figure out a way to bring us all in the store at the same time."

Rend simply nodded at his brother's well thought out plan as they relayed the plan to their client. Siad client was annoyed at the fact that Naruto would have to bring him into the shop, but he decided as long as the girl knew his love that it wouldn't matter. Naruto was more than ready to get this over with, since he wanted to practice his brawling a bit before his training with Ossan. The trio walked toward the destination of the flower shop with the bird on Naruto's finger and Rend slightly hidden behind Naruto's legs. Upon entry, Naruto put his game face on and then something unexpected happened. Rend desired.

"Excuse me! I ran into this bird here and even though he didn't want to leave my finger, he nearly dragged me to your store..."

"Oh! That fellow there tends to visit this shop a lot. Here, let me get a bit of seed for him."

Naruto didn't notice the slight and uncharacteristic wagging of Rend's tail behind him.

"Her scent is so... nurturin..." Rend thought as he struggled to focus on the task at hand.

Ino returned with a small container of seed as the Hummingbird quickly accepted his food.

"Mind if I look around for a bit, umm..."

"Ino. And go right ahead."

Naruto walked around the shop, posing as if interested in the flower but secretly waiting for the client to perch himself on her hand so they could get this over with.

The bird perched on her finger moments later, but nothing.

"Rend, what the hell are you doing!" Naruto projected into his brother's thoughts.

Literally shaking off his thoughts and underestimating his size, Rend made his presence known and Ino screamed.

"Wait, WAIT! Calm down, he's just my little brother Rend..." Naruto recovered though glaring at the Okami.

After a few minutes and Naruto ensuring her that Rend was well natured, she calmed back down.

Turning back to the bird on her hand, Ino started to rub her finger against his head.

Rend, though shakily, started to do his job. The bird turned to face Ino and then Rend started off.

"Wonderful Misses, I've wanted to have this talk with you for a long time. I wanted to thank you for the kindness you've shown a simple hummingbird such as I.."

"Wait, what's going on? How are you talking to me?"

"My determination in the fact that I wanted to tell you how I felt convinced Kami (God will be used in most instances instead) to give me a chance to speak with you."

Both Rend and Naruto mentally facepalmed at the storybook excuse the bird used, but it seemed to work on Ino.

"But why are you so determined to speak to me? I've been kind but this is a bit much..."

"It's because my dear, I have fallen for you. Your attractive appearance that will no doubt become quite lovely, and your inherantly kind nature drew me to you. And even though I know that nothing will come of it, I just wanted you to know how I felt."

The two brothers could have sworn that they saw a tear in the eye of the Hummingbird's eyes but they said nothing. After seeing his adored one blush, the bird flew out of the store before she said anything. Rend raced off after him and Ino pleaded with Naruto, "Please! I'll owe you for however long it takes, PLEASE catch him! I can't let him disappear without giving him a reply!" Naruto then rushed off after the two, already knowing where they would be. The Hokage Monument. Rend was laying atop the Fourth Hokage's head with a bawling hummingbird on his paw. His expression was one of understanding, which Naruto had rarely ever saw before. The bird saw Naruto and started in his direction.

"Thank you for this... I wish there was something I could do to return this favor now, but I will never forget it... I'll leave this village, until I can forget, until I can repay you for allowing her to know how I felt."

Naruto was immediately pissed. "You COWARD!" He lashed out and slapped the bird out of the air. "Repay me? REPAY ME BY GIVING HER THE CHANCE TO REPLY! What type of man are you if you drop a bomb like that and flee before she can even think about what happened. The ONLY payment I'll accept is for you to go back to her RIGHT NOW and receive her answer!"

"You're right... I should be ashamed..."

"You still have a chance to redeem yourself, go to her..."

"Right again. You have gained my eternal respect Naruto Uzumaki and Rend Razorjaw... Know that one day, Itou of the Dancing Sakura will repay you..." Itou said as he flew off at a speed that neither of the two expected.

Ino waited for about an hour, slowly succumbing to the thought that Naruto had failed to catch the bird who had magically confessed to her. That was, until a few minutes after sundown, she heard a slight tapping on the door of the shop. Once she realized that it was the hummingbird, she opened the door quickly. He landed on her finger once again, with a slightly nervous expression on his face. "I'm glad you came back..." Ino said, and once she realized that she would not get a response she continued on. "I guess the moment passed and you can't talk anymore, but I wanted you to hear my response. You were right when you said nothing could come of it, but regardless of that you will always be special to me..." Ino's eyes were glassy with tears as she kissed the bird with all of the emotion that he showed to her as he confessed. Unbeknownst to her, the kiss was laden with her chakra. This intertwined with his own as well as the parting gift that Rend had given him, and started a transformation within him. "Itou...my dear. My name is Itou of the Dancing Sakura... and I will always watch over you." Ino's eyes shot open as she saw the hummingbird flying with a slight aura around him, surprised that he spoke again. He himself had a similarly surprised reaction. Instead of forgetting the woman, he decided then and there to become a hummingbird great enough to assist her one day. She wiped her eyes for a while and realized what his words meant. "Before you leave... please tell that boy thank you for me." Ino said with a teary eyed smile, feeling grateful to both Itou and the young boy who gave her an opportunity to give him her answer.

What she didn't know is that both Naruto and Rend were just outside and saw the entire thing. Naruto was surprised by the fact that Itou somehow managed to talk to her himself, whereas Rend was barely standing due to chakra exhastion (though he didn't know it) and happy that his last minute play worked. "Rend, what did you DO to him while I was gone?" Naruto thought toward his brother, hoping that he would get a serious answer. Rend slowly stood back up and replied, "I pleaded. I asked my fellow Okami to grant him a way to connect with his love. Ya know, I understand why he fell so hard Pup. Havin someone take care you us animals is somethin that people take for granted but we are eternally grateful on the rare occasions a human assists us that way. So the deal was this, if I'm willing to live with bein drained for a weak of most all energy the Okami elders would allow him to gain the abilities of a ninja summon. He is Itou of the Dancing Sakura BECAUSE he is now a summon. And once he becomes strong enough to act, he will be creating a whole new summon clan just for that wonderful girl." Naruto helped Rend home while reflecting on the day's events. Just from the simple want to assist others, he had somehow helped with the eventual birth of a new summon. Rend fell asleep on the way home, glad that he managed to help someone get closer to their cherished.

* * *

><p>What can I say, I like those who like nature! Academy days are not too far away, so the next few chapters will probably surprise you.<p> 


	5. Of Education and Expression

I realized all too late that my ages are all wrong in fanfic and I really didn't like the whole "in academy for one year" deal that allowed Naruto to flunk three times so I augmented things a bit. Academy is a four year deal that churns out a higher quality genin. Naruto was born in the same year as his classmates, just later in the year so he seems younger. Some things will change, but some will not.

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><p><em><strong>Naruto Age 10 going on 11<strong>_

The wait was finally over! Sandaime Hokage had pulled strings for years to make this event happen but Naruto Uzumaki and Rend Razorjaw were now able to be place into the academy. He even gave Rend a ninja supporter role like Akamaru to ensure that the two would not be separated. Rend understood and was forever grateful. The Okami had changed dramatically after dealing with Itou and Ino. He eventually revealed that he had a slight crush on the girl after meeting her the one time. He also relinquished any thoughts of acting on it because of his loyalty to Itou. That sparked a change within him, and turned him into the young man his Ossan wanted him to be. Naruto realized what that meant and became the somewhat foil to his brother's vulgar nature, stopping Rend from going too far but mostly joining in on the fun.

Neither of the two slept at all the night before they would be introduce to their classmates. These people had be around each other for two years already and knew much more than they did due to the teachings of the academy. Plus the added nervousness due to the fact that they didn't know who would be in their class. Teuchi tried valiantly to shake them of that fear by saying things like, "Regardless of whose in that class, you'll give em hell," and "What? You afraid of outshining everybody?" It helped ease the tension then, but that faded and felt them both sleepless. The duo waited outside the classroom patiently until their chunin instructor Iruka Umino approached.

"So you're Naruto Uzumaki and the big fella beside you is Rend Razorjaw? Hokage sama has said nothing but good things about you..." Iruka stated. "Well don't be nervous, if you can win over the Hokage enough for him to praise you as he does you can win over anyone!" The chunin said with a genuine smile as he walked into the room.

"Alright! I'll believe in you Sensei!" Naruto said as Rend barked with mock happiness.

The duo walked to the front of the class with their instructor, hearing murmurs the entire way down and feeling every eye on them. If it weren't for their nerves being on edge, they would have heard some familiar voices within the crowd. Iruka tried to quiet the class for a bit, but seeing that it wouldn't be that easy he made his head enlarge to epic proportions and yelled, "Shut the HELL UP!" Once the crowd had stopped all conversations he said, "Due to circumstances that won't be revealed, we have two new arrivals into our class. Introduce yourselves." Naruto quickly jumped on top of the instructor's desk and pointed at his forehead, Rend followed suit by hopping on the desk and doing a gesture that looked all too similar to a human grabbing his testicles. "My name's Naruto Uzumaki and that's my brother Rend Razorjaw! I'm gonna be Hokage someday and me and Rend will become the greatest team ever! Believe it!" Naruto said before Iruka tried to swat him off of his desk. The duo evaded quickly before finding an empty seat. In front of the last of the Uchiha, was a seat between Shino and Shikamaru.

"SHINO! I'm glad we managed to be in the same class!" Naruto cheered a volume or two louder than he intended.

"I agree. Things will become interesting again with you here." Shino said in his normal tone.

Everyone else were more stunned at the fact that Shino spoke and was actually socializing. The two boys and, unknown to everyone else, Rend started making up for lost time until they were cut off by a certain pink hair girl.

"I don't know how he knows Shino but isn't he a bit too loud? Why can't he be more calm and mature like Sasuke kun?" the pink hair girl asked much louder than she expected.

"She's pretty cute..." Naruto thought

"Looks too familiar for my tastes, and she's got a lot of mouth callin you loud when she fails at whisperin." Rend interjected, physically barking as he mentally conversed with his brother.

"Figures that his mutt would be just as loud as he is." Sakura said with a hmpfh.

That triggered Naruto's anger, instantly dashing aside any attraction he held for the girl. "How dare you! Rend isn't some 'Dog' you flat chested fangirl!" Naruto said as his guess at her personality hit the nail on the head. "And who the hell is a Sasuke? If they can't keep their little fans in line then they can't be much themselves."

Said Sasuke then stood up and grabbed Naruto by the collar. "You've got a pretty big mouth, willing to back up that those words?"

"Don't be lookin at my mouth like that! Gay sonova..."

"What!" Sasuke was obviously embarassed by having his words so foully turned against him. "I'm GOIN to defeat you..."

Having her nap ended abruptly by the conflict Ino had only just realized her new classmates. "NARUTO!" she yelled while hugging him.

He blushed under the sudden contact then asked, "How've you been?"

"Itou told me that he's been working hard on the job Rend's parents gave him. It's not too hard is it?" she asked innocently

Specks of red could be seen growing on either side of Rend's face. Naruto replied for him, "Its just something he needs to do to assist you in the future."

Iruka eventually got his class back under control and started his lessons. The two brothers understood certain pieces, but ultimately found themselves at a loss. Shino helped when he could, but that still left many holes in their understanding since Shino could only assume that they knew the past two years of information. Iruka noticed the growing frown on the child's face and made a note to assist him. Rend however stared off, focused on God knows what. They were tested on chakra control, fitness, and knowledge necessary for shinobi to see where they would need assistance. Iruka couldn't hide his frown once he realized that Naruto only had the fitness and none of the other qualities. Mizuki would teach along with a few other chunin instructors but they were less accepting of the two. Once the duo realized that the other teachers meant them absolutely no good, they simply dumbed themselves down and learned on their own terms. Ino and Shino gave them pointers on the things they didn't understand and Teuchi started to teach Naruto proper kicks to create a sturdy foundation to his brawling. It helped that Naruto and Rend's link shared knowledge between them. Rend was better at grasping chakra control and Naruto easily picked up the more intellectual aspects of being a shinobi.

_**Naruto Uzumaki, Age 11**_

The brothers had been in the academy for six months and had pretty much settled in. Shikamaru and Chouji became good friends with Naruto and Shino since the two rarely separated. People didn't really take to Rend too well since he was half Naruto's size already and seemed on edge. That was up until one day...

_**Flashback**_

_Naruto and Shino made a bet between Shikamaru and Chouji. The bet was that Naruto couldn't silently force Sakura to yell out and disrupt the class. It was well known that even though Sakura was horrendously loud, that she was very devout when it came to studies. The stakes were high, the loser had to pay for that night's meal at Ichiraku's. The place was chosen, with every involved knowing that Naruto wasn't accepted in many other places. Shikamaru spoke up, "I usually don't bet, its too troublesome, but I know that you can't win this one!" Chouji nodded and placed his bet against Naruto and with Shikamaru. Naruto simply tapped his sleeping brother on the shoulder and projected his thoughts._

_"Remember when I demanded that Jiji chande the way he addressed me when we visit him?"_

_Rend laughed mentally and confused many of the students with the eerie canine smile he wore. "That shit was gold!"_

_"Lets drive Sakura crazy with it!"_

_Rend quickly agreed, since a month ago he remembered who the girl reminded him of. Swiftpaw was his favorite feline and payback was high on his list of things he loved when it came to harrassing people who harrass others. Rend stealthly found a spot right next to the Haruno child and prepared for their mental attack. Shikamaru and Chouji noticed this, but said nothing so they could see things play out. To them, it was win-win. You get a free meal, or at the expense of some cheap Ramem, (Naruto would have killed them he knew they even thought those words) get to see the loudest mouth in class make an idiot of themselves. Naruto initiated the plan._

_"Hey Rend, Member last time we visited Jiji?" Naruto thought as he projected his thoughts into Rend and Sakura's mind_

_"Of course I do! He was like 'Narutoooo!'" Rend thought as he did the same for Naruto and Sakura_

_"And I was like 'Jiji!'"_

_"Naruto!"_

_"JIJI!"_

_"NAARUUUTOOO!"_

_"JIJIIIII!"_

_"NARUTOOO!"_

_"JIJIIII!"_

_By then, Sakura had enough and yelled out, "Naruto SHUT the Hell UP!"_

_"Misses Haruno! I hope you're aware that the only one speaking in this classroom is you..." Iruka said with an annoyed expression. The girl had started to become much more irritable since Naruto and Rend joined the class. He punished her outburst by making her balance a bucket of water on her head in the corner of the class as he taught._

_After a few minutes she started to protest the punishment and found herself being saved by the most unusual happening. Rend was bored with hiding his true intellect and decided to spice things up. Rend said aloud, "What little girl, gettin your panties bunched up because you're actually bein disciplined for once?" Everyone in the class save Shino were frozen in shock. Rend's ability to talk aloud and rough voice made a few of the weaker minds in the class wet themselves. But Rend was not yet done. "Maybe your beloved Sasuke could do us all a favor and plug your mouth with somethin, I'd ask the pup Naruto but seems to me he's too busy eying ol blue hair in the corner..." Rend's words immediately made four people in the room blush, but that wasn't enough. "Hell, in a couple years she'll be ripe enough to make any man wanna take her and roll around in the sack." Hinata's blush heated her face up to the point where she fainted. Iruka chose to speak up._

_"Rend! Aren't you taking things a little to far? Look at poor Hinata!"_

_"That's what me and the Pup's been doin! I mean the only other I'd look at in here is Ino and she doesn't have the weight on those hips to make er more attractive."_

_That snapped her out of the shock, "And what do YOU know? I'm watching my figure!" Ino retorted._

_"Silly girl, you're a NINJA! Your TRAININ watches your weight for ya!" Hinata had started to regain consciousness, but Rend didn't notice and continued. "I meant take Hinata for example again, she ain't dietin and her weight's obviously goin to the right places. Isn't that right Naruto?"_

_Unable to lie to his brother, Naruto meekly nodded. This only made the poor pale eyed girl faint once more._

_"Naruto get him to stop or you BOTH face punishment!" Iruka demanded, noticing that collective blushes and slack jaws in his class._

_"Oh? So you mad huh? You mad?" Rend's expression was too smug for anyone not to notice. "Why bother gettin mad about a little guy talk Sensei? Gettin a lil too heated for you? You wantin a good at the girl yourself? Scared the Pup's package is a better deal than yers?"_

_This little rant caused both Naruto and Rend to have to deal with Sakura's punishment for the rest of the day. Rend's smile never wavered a second._

**Flashback end**

Iruka found himself found of both Rend and Naruto. Naruto was more reserved than Rend (though that didn't mean much) but he could tell that the boy's exuberance was an act. Naruto was not foolish, just wanted the attention he and Rend were denied most of the time. Rend however was harder to accept. A talking wolf is hard to accept in itself, but the young wolf was also blunt and vulgar to boot. He had to admit though, his own rough childhood made him feel a comradry with Rend. Iruka also could tell that Rend's crude nature hide his pain and usually masked his good natured intentions. His mannish compliments toward Hinata that day were to build her self esteem. His words toward Ino were to prevent her from wreaking her body from harsh training and a lack of proper nutrition. His remarks toward Iruka however, those were simply to provoke the man. It did however make the chunin reach out to the two brothers which in turn made them closer. Iruka eventually started to tutor the two young men on the information they missed out on, which in turn evened out their imbalanced learning. Upon visiting Ichiraku's he found out where Rend and Naruto (though on a lesser extent) got their behavior from. Over time Iruka began to frequent the place often and found the Hokage enjoying a meal with them from time to time. Naruto and Rend's circle grew a bit bigger.


	6. Of Naruto and Rend 1

This chapter will bring a bit of sense into my derail from the canon story line. That said, I will stick with certain elements, but some things will change since Rend is a separate but equal force in Naruto's life.

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><p><em><strong>Naruto and Rend Age 12<strong>_

The boys were visited on Rend's birthday by their Toad Masked benefactor, but this time the man did not continue his disguise. Allowing his hair to sit in his normal wild styling instead of a ponytail, Jiraiya started taking off his mask. "Hey there Naruto, Rend. I'm glad to finally be able to tell you this, but I am Jiraiya of the Sannin and the Gama Sennin. You're godfather, Naruto..." The boy himself couldn't form words at all. "I know that you're wondering why I stayed away from you instead of staying to take care of you. And I'll answer that question right now, kid. I can't tell you why the laws around you are so strict but I will say that behind your Jiji's back, a man named Danzo convinced the council to pass a law that prevented ANY adult to provide you with the care and love of a family. He made it so that neither I or Sandaime sama could fight this law. But I'm not telling you this so that you can swear revenge against that bastard, that'll be my gift to you one day... I just want you to know that you have your godfather watching over you and Rend's parents want you to think of them as a part of their family as well. After I give you a bit of time to let everything sink in, I'll be transporting you to their home so that you can meet your family." Jiraiya continued as he watched Naruto's expressions. The boy's face showed nearly every emotion a human could feel, except for hatred. "So the reason I don't have a home is because of a law right?" He thought for a second, mimicing the fox inside him. "Would you have taken me in if you could have?"

"Kid, that's why I never remain in Konoha... If I can't be allowed to look after my godson, then there's no point in stayin."

Naruto cried silently with a smile on his face and nodded, and Jiraiya made a few handsigns before slamming his hand to the ground. The symbol of the Okami appeared and then everything flashed white.

_**The Okami Realm**_

Naruto was in awe, the dense forest around him and the pure white fog that had settled on the ground made him feel as sense of peace that he never experienced. Rend however had a few memories of his home before he started living with his brother. Jiraiya started to lead the two toward the main clearing where the Okami dwelled. The plants swayed in their direction as they walked, grass slightly caressing their legs as if to tell them they were welcome as they found themselves surrounded just as the Gama Sennin was just twelve years ago. The amount of Okami had increased though, as Rend was only one of the eight brought into the world. The Honorable mother approached before any of her children could remove the two brothers from their serious mood. "Playing around can come later, but first I have a job to do." she thought as she stepped forward.

"Rend my child, I see that living with Naruto was been very beneficial." Teresa smiled

"Damn RIGHT! Naruto Pup and Teuchi Ossan are some of the badest men this earth will be blessed with!"

Slightly thrown by his language Teresa replied, "Apparently not entirely beneficial... but Naruto how do you like having a brother?"

"Its great to have someone who considers me family. Before he came along, the entire village hated me... but now we've made a couple of friends! Rend becoming my brother is the best thing that's ever happened to me Miss Razorjaw!"

This time Jiraiya spoke up, "Um Naruto, that isn't her name..."

"That's right little one, the Okami normally take only one name. Rend chose the name Razorjaw himself as a way to connect more with humankind." Teresa said.

"Plus Razorjaw sounds pretty kickass!" Rend chimed in.

His mother shot him a look and he instantly shut up.

"Now Naruto, I have a question for you. How would you like it if Rend was more human like you?"

"That would be pretty cool, but that's only if he wants to be..."

"I've already spoken with the pup about this, and he would be fine as long as he had his brother by his side. But the true question is, how far would you go for my pup? I know of how strong the connection is between you two, but I have to make certain before I even tell you what comes next."

"Rend saved me from the growing isolation inside me. I might have given up on connecting with people if it weren't for him. He even motivates other people to try their hardest when he reaches out... I'd do whatever's necessary for my brother!"

Rend thought to himself, "That's where you're wrong... I've watched your strength these years Bro and I only managed to do what I thought you'd do. You ain't the type to hold a grudge, you'd forgive in time even without me. Its why I'll get strong enough to guard your back..."

Teresa let her relief rush over her as she started on her next topic, "If that's the case, then I'll give you two a chance to earn the honor of granting you both a half human bloodline. To do so, you must prove yourselves able to perform the duties of the Okami as well as excelling in the qualities of a great human. There is no malice in either of you two, so the way to prove yourself shall come with each test that increases your rank as a ninja. After becoming a Genin however, you shall be given the task of the Okami. Now bear in mind that these tasks were going to be given to Jiraiya Boy and another Okami, but I'll grant this exception in order to strengthen your bonds. You two must calm any disturbances in the elements in their place."

"How can we do that?" Both Naruto and Rend asked.

"Simple. The disturbances are localized so you would have to destroy whatever causes the imbalance, take the wayward element into your bodies, or if the disturbance is strong enough to create an avatar then defeat it. Absorbing an element that is not of your elemental nature will be painful and require some down time to recover. But be QUITE wary of an element's avatar. The stronger the avatar is the wider its range is, and the areas where avatars form are unable to draw upon their technique of said element. If wind become wayward, wind techniques WILL NOT WORK. This is the work of the Okami, to protect nature's balance. In order to form the strongest bond, you must be able to take care of this world..."

The two boys nodded, feeling the true weight of things on their shoulders. But it wasn't an oppressive feeling to them. Both Naruto and Rend wanted a way to prove their dedication, their drive to protect others. The task was far too much for a child to attend to, and Teresa knew this but asked the two with that fact in mind. She asked the two to grow up early and strive for a balanced peace, a world that could sustain life instead of the frequent warring it fueled. And Naruto was the first one to speak. "I'll accept. I'll become a Genin and take care of the world alongside Rend. Please allow us to do as the Okami should..." "Teresa, or kaa-san if you would like. You are family to me little Naruto..." That statement made the boy stream tears of joy as he cuddled his new mother until he fell asleep.

_**Hours Later**_

Rend spent a lot of the time catching up with his siblings, finding out that some of them were larger than he himself was. They had also started on their work as Balance Protectors. The younger ones were only sent out when certain elements only needed to be absorbed, or when items of power disrupted the balance. Only the older wolves were allowed to deal with the larger tasks. One of which, named Mercury, spent a lot of time teasing Rend about his vulgar speech and his size. It annoyed him to no end, but even still he could see that it was all in good nature. She suddenly stopped play fighting with him and looked off into the distance. Naruto started to walk toward his brother and headed straight into a playful pounce.

"Hey there Cutey..." Mercury flirted

"Ge..get off me.."

"Why should I?" she said with an expression that would have been a pout were she human.

"Cause I gotta talk to Jiraiya before we leave here!"

"Aw... why so soon?... I know! Why don't I ask the Honorable Mother if I can keep you?"

He then pushed the wolf off of him, which she allowed to happen. "Li..Like HELL I'll let that happen!"

As he walked away Mercury thought to herself, "That's a good boy... I like em fiesty." She licked her teeth which caused Rend to shudder before catching up to his brother.

Naruto and Jiraiya were conversing about the upcoming events. Despite the fact that they had a while before the duo had to take the graduation exam, Naruto was ready to get things over with now that he had such an important task ahead. Jiraiya gave his promise to visit more than once a year and also gave his godson permission to use his brawling style during the exam. He imitated the broken academy style to fool Mizuki Sensei but never actually let it stick into his mind. Rend on the other hand only knew how to attack from instinct and a few tips from Teuchi. Akamaru was civil, but knew nothing he could share. This prompted Jiraiya to make a bold play. He gave Rend the same type of task that Teuchi gave Naruto.

"I know that you gain skill from Naruto's experience through the bond, but I can also tell that you want to be able to get stronger with him on a more physical level." Rend nodded as Jiraiya continued. "Then why don't you do the same as Naruto? Brawling is a style that many a ninja stray away from since its not concrete, but its also something that can be specialized to YOUR strengths and weaknesses. As a wolf, there aren't many who can teach you anything aside from summons and that would mean that you would either need a summoning contract or an ally with one which right now you have neither. But don't get yourself down. As a wolf, you are allowed more free roam than Naruto so you can spy on other's training under the guise of being a curious animal. Learn what you can and create your own style Kid. With experience I'm sure you'll be greater than any teacher can help you achieve..."

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><p>The next chapter will be more on the humor side and the normal Naruto and Rend will reappear. Both of them are aware enough to be a bit more reserved in the company of important people. (Even the Hiruzen will get his respect when official business starts happening.)<p>

Also... Should I create a back story for the Brawling Ramen chef?


	7. Of Pranks and Sabotage

The feedback on this story motivates me to continue writing more and more!

Yami Kurushimi: I'd be grateful if you continue to help me smooth out the edges. And I wanted to make it seem like Rend became more vulgar and blunt over time, feel free to tell me if I carried that vibe well enough. And the

Narudevilfan: I woudn't let it stop me from writing this one, if anything it would make me want to write this one more. I have a strong idea of how I'd do it, so If I do write it out then I'd want Naruto to make Teuchi Ossan proud!

TP23Incognito: I'm late in responding to this comment, but you really motivated me to write on the days where I was tired from work and wasn't sure if I'd write that night. I hope to keep each of you entertained!

Everyone will be out of character for a portion of this chapter. The root used in this chapter makes people's special blend of pheromones stand out, so everyone affected would act differently than normal

With those things said, enjoy the next chapter!

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><p><strong>CHAPTER 7<strong>

Rend did exactly as told. He watched his brother Naruto to see if there were any attacks he could mirror even as a wolf. He noticed as Naruto started using his Henge, that he could do the same as long as his mind went through the signage necessary. In other words, Rend in his own respect was now his own separate ninja. His natural claw strikes and use of his fangs were already a concrete beginning, but Rend wanted much more in order to live up to the name he chose for himself. He found his first hint at becoming powerful in his own right one day while watching a certain silver haired ninja practicing his more taxing techniques to build up his chakra reserves.

_**Flashback**_

_"**Raikiri**!" Kakashi said as he plunged his arm through a wooden training dummy._

_Rend for the most part was awed by the destructive power of the technique, but he still had enough insight to try to understand the physics behind the man's technique. He could obviously tell that it was lightning natured, and he did notice the man's postitioning of his body and the handsigns but it was no where enough to learn the move itself. Kakashi noticed his visitor, then turned with his back facing Rend in an blatant manner._

_"**Raikiri**. My self created technique using lightning chakra manipulation and high speeds to give my hand piercing power strong enough to cut lightning itself. It would be horrible if someone knew these things and learned my technique without my knowledge, but there's no one here to listen in on my rambling now is there?"_

_Taking Kakashi's hint, Rend was not to be seen when he turned around._

_"So that's the 'stray' wolf that's been wandering around the village's training grounds... Our ninja must be losing their touch if they haven't noticed his intentions yet."_

_**Flashback End**_

Rend gathered much information from the chunin and jounin he watched. The Inuzuka clan weren't the only ones who had animal companions, and the town's best weapon store sold specialty weapons for animal companions ranging from canines to birds of prey. The young wolf however chose the path not taken and decided to use kenjutsu, and after a bit of research made up his mind to get his hands on a wakizashi. He and his brother's lack of funds however made this difficult, so he made due with what he could find. That meant that a certain weapon flinging genin found herself missing one of her tanto after practicing her **Twin Rising Dragons** technique. Dealing with Rend, nothing is EVER all work and no play. And he felt like his brother needed to step his pranking game up, which made him the next target. Naruto's fate was sealed when Mercury decided to visit her cute non related brother and her blood sibling.

Without saying hello, Mercury immediately started plotting. "So did they tell you about how connected you two are to each other?"

"Of course Mercury...what does it matter to ya?"

"I'm just saying that a little birdie told me that you wanted to prank your brother."

"You've been stalkin us with that DAMN crystal thing again huh? Mama Teresa said that was only supposed to be used to find disturbances in the elements! Freaky sonuva"

Mercury pounced him, her almost metallic looking eyes boring into him, "Look kid, do you want my help or not?" Apparently she took some offense.

"What's your plan?"

"The Vigora root is ground in the Okami homeland, what it does is increases the amount of ... 'presence' you'll have when dealing with the opposite sex. Its normal use is for helping a male attract a highly compatible mate."

"Then what the hell? I'm tryin to prank him, not help him get lucky!"

"Why don't you try fighting off a mob of hormonally driven women?"

"I'll take it! What do I owe you in return?"

The female Okami held a disturbingly perverted expression. "Have any pictures of the pup when he was younger?" Her perverse giggling made Rend flinch, and Naruto shivered in his sleep.

_**Hours later at the Academy**_

Rend quickly devoured the root and went about his day normally as he and Naruto got ready for school. The heightened nose made both boys very aware of the other one and slightly more confrontational than normal. It also made for an interesting trip to school, with some of the cat council rubbing against Naruto and Rend's legs. Rend even learned something new about Swiftpaw, who couldn't hide his strange attraction to the young wolf. "I don't know what's different today, but I can't seem to keep my eyes off of you Rend..." Swiftpaw admitted calmly and followed the growing group. The most of the males found themselves more angry at the duo than usual and the women of the village found themselves forgetting their misplaced hatred for a while. Several yowls were heard outside as the duo entered the academy and the people in the halls had similar reactions to those outside, but all hell broke loose inside their class.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WITH YOU TWO?" Kiba yelled as soon as they entered the room.

"Nothin much Dipshit and what's it to ya?" Rend replied.

Sakura started toward to two in order to shut them up, but stopped short and froze.

Sasuke simply stated, "Could you two weaklings GET any louder?"

"Troublesome sons of bitches..." Shikamaru said, then recoiled when he realized his new addition to his trademark phrase.

Naruto was of course pissed, and got directly in Sasuke's face. "How bout you make us quiet down? Fuckin pansy ass..."

Ino threw a book at him, cuttin off his rant. "You're taking it too far, he just said they were loud!"

"Why can't I stare him down like usual, wait WHY am I pay the dead last so much attention." Sasuke thought while staring.

"And what in THE fuck are you staring at me like that for? That expression of yours is pissin me off! And why the FUCK are you so close to my face!"

Kiba put the final nail in the coffin and pushed Sasuke forward. "Quit your bitchin and kiss him already ya faggot!"

That push caused just that. The two locked lips with Naruto looking shocked and Sasuke slightly blushing. Only Hinata, Rend, and three girls noticed the blush on Sasuke's face. The four women promptly nosebleed, then fainted. Rend took a blackmail photo before standing beside Naruto, who looked ready to destroy everything in the class. "DAMN YOU KIBA!" Naruto roared as he charged the Inuzuka heir. Kiba and Akamaru quickly set up for their combination techniques as the Okami brothers prepared to clash. Iruka sensei appeared and stopped them both. "EVERYBODY IN YOUR SEATS AND SHUTTING THE FUCK UP!" Iruka said using his **Demon Head** jutsu. Once the class calmed down, so did he and his normal personality shined through. Rend reveled in the destruction his prank caused. A silent Sakura, a few fainted girls who saw their fantasy lived out by Sasuke kissing another guy, Naruto was traumatized, and he started an early heat cycle in the Cat Council. After classes ended and the two went home for the night, Rend spoke up and said "I don't care you take up fence sittin as long as you're the man in both situation." Naruto punched his brother full force and knocked him into a tree. That night, a yell of frustration and maniacal laughter could be heard throughout Konoha.

_**Approaching the exams**_

The Vigora roots effects wore off after a weeks time, though it completely changed a few friendships. After getting past the unholy kiss as Naruto called it, Sasuke became a friend of the two and their arguing became marginally more friendly. It was more of a rivalry and a personal interest. Rend eventually told Naruto in class about his prank and because of it Kiba and Rend started to become closer (only after the root wore off). Shino went from best friend, to become like the calm older brother to the duo. Sakura eventually found out about Naruto's runin with her own mother years before and grew a stinging hatred of the boy. He was still civil toward her, but his small crush died out quickly. Ino kept a solid friendship with the two, and Hinata grew more found of Naruto for defending her against Rend's teasing. She couldn't bring herself to dislike him either since his blantantly honest personality was one she wished she could mimic. Ninja training for the two came easily, since Rend's chakra control was steadily increasing. The duo could easily use the **Henge** and the** Kawarimi**, but they couldn't seem to create less than a dozen **Bunshin**. Rend made it his goal to strengthen his control of his chakra. After "finding" the tanto, Rend and Naruto spent a lot of their time sparring with each other. Rend was unfamiliar with holding the weapon in his mouth and Naruto was unfamiliar with defending against weapons. Teuchi Ossan helped with working out the kinks in their fighting, but did little more than oversee their growth. At this point, the two would only grow with experience the same way that all brawlers do.

With the promise of a gift for each of them, Naruto and Rend were more than psyched for the exam. The time came for them to show that they were skilled enough to be called ninja. The written portion of the test was geared toward practical usage of knowledge, so the duo passed with no problem. The last two tests were the ones that were important. They were allowed to show their true fighting styles during the taijutsu test, and most of the class thought them unable to execute most jutsu. It would be their time to shine.

"Alright! First up, I need Sasuke Uchiha versus Naruto Uzumaki." Mizuki stated.

"WHAT! SASUKE KUN WON'T HAVE A CHALLENGE AGAINST HIM!" his fangirls shrieked at once.

"They're ranks ARE too far apart Mizuki... This won't work." Iruka reasoned.

"I believe that you're all just underestimating our friend here, Naruto's up for the challenge." Mizuki said, though his true intentions were to see the boy get pummeled. "And if that's not enough, then Rend can join in."

"Naw Sensei, that'd be unfair to our opponent if we worked together. None of them would have a chance." Naruto said with a smug expression.

"See, he's enthused enough. Fight... START!"

Sasuke dropped into his clan's stance and Naruto changed his broken academy taijutsu stance to his brawling one. "I won't hurt you too badly, Sasuke." Naruto said as he held his fists forward, his left slightly further extended from his right. "Funny, I was about to say the same to you Dead Last." Naruto acted first, using a swift step in that closed the distance between the two of them instantly and attempted a right jab which Sasuke hastily dodged. "What is this speed and power?" he thought as Naruto tried a one-two punch combo that Sasuke weaved to avoid. This left and opening for a counter, as Naruto unleashed precise left and right hooks before throwing a downward hook that hit the top of Sasuke's head. "Ora ORa ORA!" was his battlecry. But Naruto wouldn't let him hit the ground yet, as he lifted his knee and smashed it into his opponent's chin. Sasuke stumbled backward a bit, stunned by his friend's unexpected prowess. Naruto charged forward and hopped into the air. "YEAH!" Naruto yelled as he cocked his fist back and slammed it into Sasuke's face, knocking him out instantly. No one made a sound, saved Shino who clapped calmly.

Ino had to fight one of the civilian boys who wanted to be ninja just for the "powers" so she had an easy match. She used her own modified version of her clan style taijutsu. Her stance was sturdy, with a rhythmic bounce that Rend found himself watching a bit too closely. She had used her weak opponent as a way to work out the kinks in her fighting style, which consisted mostly of kicks. She took a few hits since she was using a style that hadn't been battle tests, but the attacks were weak and did little harm. By the end of the match, she had made up her mind to spar with Naruto or Rend like Shino did in order to pave her own ninja way. Shino's matchup was much worse. An arrogant Sasuke fangirl by the name ok Miki decided that Shino and his "creepy bugs" had no chance against her. Her academy taijutsu was par at best and her arrogance made certain that Shino had plenty of openings to attack. He allowed her to show off her somewhat proficiency at taijutsu before showing his superb chakra control. Shino channeled chakra into his fist that was to expand and cover the torso upon impact. He did however, overestimate the skill of his opponent. The focused punch Shino used not only blew the poor girl back at least ten yards, but it also completely incinerated the girl's shirt. She ran home to change, but since her taijutsu did pass she came back in time to take the ninjutsu test. The last fight ended up being Chouji versus Rend.

The fight started with Chouji expanding his body a bit, making him twice his own size but four times Rend's. The wolf was given a blunted version of his own weapon, that he quickly unsheathed and hopped backwards. Chouji tried to throw a few punishing haymakers toward the wolf, but found most of them dodged cleanly. The Akimichi was not to be shunned for lack of talent though, since he manage to land a perfect blow on the wolf and show why his clan's strength was feared. Rend stumbled a bit before regaining his ground. He knew that in order to win the bout, he would have to use his lower chunin level speed to take the man down. Rend howled into the sky, then blasted forward, letting his blunted blade slash at Chouji's side as he attacked. He sliced Chouji's side, then abdomen, then slammed his blunted tanto on the top of Chouji's head. This resulted in Rend winning the bout, but since it was the most evenly matched spar in the entire set the crowd cheered loudest for the young wolf. "So this is what it feels like to be seen as my own person..." Rend thought as he shakily got back to his feet.

Mizuki was not finished trying to sabotage the "Demon Brat" and his partner, so he started drawing a seal in the middle of the classroom where the ninjutsu test would be taken. The seal would immediately steal the chakra from anyone who stood inside it, then fade after one use. So he made sure to have Naruto and Rend together show their skills first. When Iruka called for a **Henge no Jutsu** demo, the two turned onto a blond and silver haired duo of gorgeous women. Both of them as nude as the day they were born except for a cloud of fog covering their essential parts. "**Oiroke no Jutsu**" the duo said smugly as their classmates fainted. After cleaning up his nosebleed and calming th class down from the outrageous attack, Iruka continued. "Utilize the **Kawarimi**." Naruto and Rend traded places with chairs in the room. Everyone scanned around until they said Rend acting as a chair for Ino and Naruto with an almost steaming Hyuuga in his lap. "Stop fooling around you two!" Iruka yelled as the two returned to their rightful place. The only problem came when Iruka called for the** Bunshin**. Mizuka whispered, "Katsu!" as the seal activated at the same time that the two tried the technique. That caused the ten clones they attempted to become two half dead clones and one completely stretched out on the floor. "Naruto Uzumaki and Rend Razorjaw...FAIL!"


	8. Of Rank and Circumstance

Awesome: This chapter is dedicated to you, especially since that compliment was one of the highest I've gotten for one of my stories!

This chapter will be a sizable piece of the deviation from the normal story. I hope that my writing style and plot will continue to keep your readers as interested as you have been.

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><p><strong>CHAPTER 8<strong>

"But..but... we've done this so many times..."

"This is bullshit! You've seen us use that technique... Give us another chance!"

Iruka almost conceded until Mizuki appeared and said, "As much as we would like to do so, I'm afraid we have to fail you too.." Mizuki said, letting slight amounts of arrogance seep out of his voice.

The duo left the room, not caring about the rest of the students. Both of them knew that they should have passed the test, but half through the jutsu their energies dropped below halfway. Shino felt for his friends, but he also noticed a few strange things during the test. The **Bunshin** never creates a glowing ring seal on the floor, that and Mizuki didn't appear until after the test was over. Even then he seemed somewhat pleased that the duo flunked. He had no true evidence though, so he resigned himself to hope for a miracle. The duo themselves walked around, too ashamed to go to Ichiraku or home, and kicked rocks as they walked. That continued until the evening time, when Mizuki sensei appeared with a proposition. Shino watched in the shadows, expecting foul play.

"I know you two must feel horrible for failing the final exams..."

"The Fuck are you here for, to rub it in? Miss me with that shit..." Rend replied with little feeling behind his words.

Masking his annoyance Mizuki replied, "I'm here to assist you two, since you both seemed skilled enough to pass except for that last...slip up."

"Then what do we have to do?"

Mizuki started to explain the "make up test" to them as he quickly disappeared. The plan was to steal a forbidden scroll from the Hokage tower and bring it to a certain area in the forest where Mizuki would be waiting. So Naruto rushed toward the toward with Rend essentially blending with his shadow as they snuck past the various Anbu guards posted near the tower. Inside at the front desk, a secretary dosed while laying on a small stack of paperwork. Rend noticed the extreme resemblance of her feline expression while she slept as they passed deeper into the tower. The darkened hallways were uncharacteristically devoid of Anbu so the ninja duo quickly reached the storeroom for the scroll. They weren't prepared to see the Hokage himself looking into a scroll himself, bearing a highly familiar spiral emblem. A few tears escaped the man's eye, allowing him to show a sense of weariness that most never saw in him. "If only I would have reached the council faster, I could have done better by you Naruto... Why can't you bring yourself to hate an old man for his incompetence? You deserve more than this village can ever give you." Hiruzen Sarutobi whispered to himself as he brooded over Naruto's treatment. Rend may have helped the boy through his harsh treatment, but the Hokage hated that any of it happened in the first place. He fought daily to lift the laws restricting Naruto from having a parent, but failed year after year before earning the boy a right to live as an adult. The news of the duo's failure to pass shattered the elder's small hope for good tidings. And he was well aware that the two should have been able to pass, since they showed him the three techniques once they learned each. He couldn't understand.

Neither of the two wanted to sadden the man any more than he was, and both knew that the Hokage was more than skilled enough to kill them twice even on his own deathbed so they decided to use diversion tactics. "Rend, I'll use the **Oiroke no Jutsu** while you sneak out of here with the scroll Mizuki Sensei wanted." Rend nodded and Naruto used his perverted **Henge**. The blond boy became a raven haired woman with coal eyes and a figure that would hypnotize most men. It didn't help that the woman was naked as the day she was born. "Hokage sama... You work too hard! Might a simple girl like me help EASE a little tension?" The henged blond said in a voice that beamed sensuality. The fully nude sight and the very indecent proposal was too much for an already emotionally offbalanced Hokage to take, and his nosebleed caused him to faint. The pair made sure their Jiji didn't hit the ground and once their were certain he would be comfortable, they raced off toward the outskirts of Konoha. What the two didn't know was that Mizuki had alerted the Hokage that their Naruto had stolen the scroll and said that he was attempting to flee. Knowing that his job had to come first, Hiruzen sent out his forces to find Naruto and Rend.

"Why don't we learn two different jutsu from this scroll, since we could also share the info later?" Rend asked, once they reached the clearing.

"Sounds like a plan to me!" Naruto beamed as he opened the scroll.

Naruto started looking at the **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu** while Rend searched through until he found a technique known as **Impure Worlds Genjutsu**. Naruto had only read enough of the techniques description to try to utilize the move, since he felt that he didn't have enough time to spare with the detail. Rend's choice was quite different though. The Impure Worlds Genjutsu was described as an incomplete technique. The handsigns and the instructions on how to mold the chakra necessary for the technique were present, but the scroll stated that the illusion seen was not set. The user themselves had to create it. The strength of the technique lied in the fact that since the illusion was so personally speciallized, that the victim would lose all of their normal strength while within it. The downside was that if the illusion was broken by anyone but the caster, that all of their strength would be sealed until chakra recovery set in. It took an hour for Rend to grasp as much as he thought he could, but Naruto had already learned his jutsu. By the time someone appeared, the two were once again certain they would pass their exam.

"Iruka sensei... we did it! We took the scroll... We can be genin now.." Naruto said with quiet exuberance.

"What the hell are you talking about? They'll arrest you for the stunt you two just pulled!" Iruka yelled, more sad than anything.

"The hell do you mean? Mizuki sensei said that if we stole the scroll and brought it to him we'd pass!" Rend yelled.

"Give up the scroll kids..." Mizuki said with a cold tone.

"Don't do it Naruto! He just made you break a law, don't make things worse."

Mizuki laughed for a bit before his face contorted into a horrid smirk, "Well isn't this a fun twist, A boy taking up for the Demon who killed his family!"

"What the hell is he talking about?"

Already understanding, Iruka spoke up, "DON'T YOU DARE tell him! That's an S rank secret. And Naruto is NOT a demon!"

"I'll spare you the secrets boy! The village doesn't want you to know that very demon that terrorized the village is INSIDE OF YOU NOW! YOU MY BOY ARE THE DEMON THAT NEARLY DESTROYED THE VILLAGE!"

Iruka didn't even speak, as he blurred to Mizuki's location and landed a heavy blow to his jaw which slammed him into a tree. "Naruto... you are NOT A DEMON!" Iruka roared as he charged his former childhood friend with intent to kill. He flashed through the handsigns then scream, "**Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu**!" and unleashed a large fireball into the traitor. Mizuki barely dodged, but decided to use Iruka's 'weakness' against him as he threw a fuuma shuriken at Naruto and Rend. Iruka noticed this maneuver and placed his body in the way. "Naruto.. Rend... you two have more than earned the title of genin from this village. Close your eyes Naruto..." The boy did as told and eventually felt a sensation like cloth on his forehead. "Don't let him leave here with that scroll you two... Run!" Iruka said as his consciousness started to slip. Mizuki didn't plan for what happened next. Chakra spiked to the point where every person in Konoha who were awake could see it.

"You lost your right to LIVE!" Naruto stated.

"He... I... I respected him ya know? I CAN'T LET HIM END HERE!" Rend yelled, unable to show the control his brother did.

Both however had the same idea and said, "**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu**!"

Completely covering the clearing, at least a hundred clones of Naruto and Rend surrounded the traitor ninja with their stances ready. Mizuki shivered and whipped two kunai as the crowd descended on him. To his credit, he managed to fell a couple of the clones but the onslaught of anger laced attacks eventually overpowered the chunin as punches and claw slashes cut deeper and deeper into his body. By the time Anbu had reached the location, Mizuki was barely recognizable, but still living. Iruka was taking to the hospital quickly and treated with utmost care. The next day, Rend was also given his Konoha headband, which he wore around his neck. The T&I group were currently working on gaining information on the traitor and Iruka would fully recover in time. Naruto didn't get anytime to brood over the Kyuubi though, since Rend quickly steered him right again.

_**Flashback**_

_"So I'm the demon huh? That explains why the villagers hated me all this time... I shouldn't even have friends! I'll leave you my apartment Rend, but you can't be around me. Since I'm the demon, its only right that I should die to ensure the village stays safe..." Naruto said as the life in his eyes nearly vanished_

_Rend, erupting in anger, stabbed his tanto into his brother's stomach. "DEMON? WHAT SORT OF A DEMON would die to save a human village? Would a fuckin DEMON have you're personality, or would they be cold blooded killers only interested in power? You are NOT a demon, Brother. What you are is a human who is more pure than I am. I was born a celestial and I'M not as forgiving as you are!" Rend's tears were streaming by now. "You're too kind Naruto... I'd rather have you than the entire race of humans... You're not a demon... You just have to stay strong to subdue the son of a bitch..."_

_By the end of Rend's rant, Naruto started to feel better about his situation. He wasn't the demon itself. It was sealed inside of him. He not only had the job of balancing the elements now, but becoming strong enough to tame the Kyuubi. Rend, his Jiji, and Iruka sensei believed in him. Naruto Uzumaki made up his mind to become as strong as humanly possible to ensure that he could protect his loved ones, and live up the the expectation they held with pride._

_**Flashback End.**_

The next morning Naruto got dressed with a new found resolve. His was the container of the nine-tailed fox and had to be the best ever in order to subdue a beast that even the famed Yondaime couldn't restrain. Rend watched his brother with the same adoration that he held as a pup, seeing how Naruto recovered from his weak moment and the stab wound to the stomach Rend made it his goal to become his brother's equal. The higher ups had already discussed that Naruto would simply have to come into the class with his headband and note in order to be assigned to as squad. Iruka sensei patched himself up enough to be there himself to hand out the team rosters.

"Team 7 is Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and Sakura Haruno. Your jounin sensei will be Hatake Kakashi. Team 8 will be Shino Aburame, Hinata Hyuuga, and Kiba Inuzuka. Your jounin sensei will be Genjutsu Mistress Yuhi Kurenai. Team 10 will be Shikamaru Nara, Ino Yamanaka, and Chouji Akamichi." Iruka sensei stated.

"Wait, where does that leave me?" Miki screamed. She was one of the few who were determined to be a kunoichi, so she'd be damned if a fangirl had a team and she didn't.

"Great question Miss Haruhara. Since there were an uneven number of passing genin, you shall be officially rostered as a member of Team 7. Your status as an odd member out will mean that you shall take missions with either of the rookie genin squads. You've proven well rounded enough to be a 'Jill of all trades' so to speak!" Iruka said, partially to soothe a quickly building temper.

Miki just hmphed and looked toward her "official" team. Sasuke was too cocky for her to get along with him. Sakura seemed FAR too focused on said cocky teen to bear being around. Naruto and by association, Rend seemed to be the only bearable people on her team. Naruto and Rend were giving her the once over as well, since the duo rarely had any one-on-one interactions with the young woman. Her eyes, that seemed fixed in a annoyed glare, were steel grey and highly expressive. She stood at Sakura's height exactly and her hair was styled far too similar to the pinkette's. Two huge differences were Miki's chocolate skin and dark green hair. The main difference stood out the most, she was DEFINITELY a shinobi. Her aggressive body language and obvious physical fitness made her a prime target for males affections, slightly less approached than the Hyuuga heiress though. After they were finished eying their teammate, the group of four sat and waited four their sensei. They watched as each group were lead out one by one until they were left alone. Two hours later, Kakashi appeared by Shunshin and said, "Sorry I'm late, a black cat started to cross my path and started following me. It took me three hours to shake it!" No one but Rend and Naruto bought the tale, and only because they were aware of a certain mostly black cat who would do just that. Already being briefed on the situation with Miki, Kakashi decided to start getting to know his genin.

"In order to grow stronger as a squad, we need to know a bit about each other. So why don't we tell a little bit about ourselves?" Kakashi asked.

Not willing to ask obvious questions, Rend asked, "Why don't you start us off then?"

"Alright, that's fair.. I'm Hatake Kakashi and I like the things that appeal to me the most. I dislike the things that somehow tend to rub me the wrong way. My dream is something that I see every night when I go to sleep."

The Okami brothers couldn't help but laugh at the completely useless answers. Sakura was annoyed, though Miki and Sasuke were apathetic.

"I'll go next." Naruto said calmly. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki and I like to brawl, ramen, sake when Ossan lets me drink some of his, Rend, Shino, training, and good women. I dislike arrogance, people who disrespect women, people who judge without getting to know others, and anyone who hurts my family and friends. I'll become Hokage one day and bring Kohona into a great age of power and peace!"

The listeners, and Sasuke even though he tried to look uninterested, were surprised by the actual coherent thoughts coming from the blond.

Rend ignored their shock and spoke, "I'm Rend Razorjaw and I like meat, fighting, sake when Ossan feels generous, Naruto, Shino, training, and gorgeous women!" He then looked at Miki. "I'm sure you'll easily fall into that category in a couple years.."

Miki then felt her face heat up and tried to attack Rend but was restrained.

Rend continued on, "I dislike idiots, people who hurt women, people who don't know what the fuck they're talkin about, gossip, fangirls, people who hurt my families, and most of all... Sweet Peas... Oh, my dream is to become an Okami that will make my family proud, and usher my brother Naruto into becoming the greatest Hokage ever!"

Sakura's speech was all pretty obvious, her like was Sasuke, dislike Naruto and Rend, and she dreamt of a yaoi scene between Sasuke and Naruto. Wait! She blushed once she realized that she said that last part out loud. Rend and Miki snickered while Naruto looked pretty damn shaken.

Sasuke calmly spoke up, "My likes are power and learning new jutsu. I dislike too many things to name. And my dream is to kill a certain someone..." Then Sasuke's voice took a strangely dazed tone. "And to one day impress a certain someone..." His gaze became quite distant as he said the last piece, and luckily no one knew who the last Uchiha had wanted to win over.

Miki shook everyone from their stupor. "My name is Miki Haruhara. I like power, training, men who focus on their job, nature, order, and calm people. Too much noice is annoying. I dislike fangirls, idiots, perverts, bugs, lazy bastards, children, and most of all... being weak. My dream is to help my village become as strong as it possibly can. I mean, being Hokage has a lot of pressure around the job so I'd rather be a capable enough ninja to complete any task I'm given."

With Miki's words, everyone was forced to take her more seriously. She may have suffered a quick defeat by Shino, but her determination could be seen as plain as day. The Okami brothers mentally added her to the list of people to befriend and found themselves looking back at her with a different set of eyes. Their eyes were those of someone who wants to watch a flower bloom. They wanted to see just how great of a kunoichi she would become...

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><p>Here's hoping that the subtle yaoi hints don't drive off readers. This story will NOT be NaruSasu. The current setup just seems to fit the story. And Sasuke is obviously out of character. Miki will be semi important, and become more developed as the main characters learn more about her. I'll try to keep the OOC amounts to reasonable levels, and reviews are much appreciated. And Iruka did receive a power up. I just didn't see the how he would be so easy to defeat during the canon scene. I mean, I understand his reasons but Iruka did nothing as he was skewered by his ex best friend. He'll continue gaining strength throughout the story too, as well as all of the genin.


	9. Of Acceptance and Teamwork

Narudevilfan: I won't agree that yaoi is a nightmare, but I will warn you long before you start liking a story if it will be yaoi. You are safe on this one, and I intend to get better with each chapter I post!

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><p><strong>CHAPTER 9<strong>

Naruto and Rend stayed around to listen to tomorrow's orders. The four genin to be were to meet up at their training ground at 8am and were advised not to eat breakfast. Miki commented on the fact that 8 o'clock was hardly early and that she normally would be two hours into her training or at the academy by then. Sakura stared at the girl like she was an alien. Miki received a simple "Damn." from Naruto and Rend. The duo had unconsciously started to believe that none of the kunoichi in their class trained much at all. Sasuke stayed silent up until the point where the squad was dismissed, and then blatantly refused Sakura's advances as usual. Miki went her own way and the Okami brothers headed straight toward Ichiraku's to celebrate.

Teuchi and Ayame were quite sad for the two boys when they heard of the failure. Naruto and Rend didn't have the heart to tell them when it happened, so the Ramen chef eventually found out by word of mouf. Ayame openly cried as Shino recounted the way things played out. As their best friend, he felt obligated to let their family know. But he also saw them as they entered the classroom with their headbands the next day. No one knew how that was possible, but Shino was determined to celebrate with them nonetheless. He planted a few of his clans bugs on Rend to alert him when they were headed to the Ramen stand. Kurenai would have to forgive him for bolting out of their introduction dinner.

_**Ichiraku Ramen**_

"Ossan! Tell me, does this thing here look familiar?" Naruto said with an undeniably proud tone.

"Hey kid.. Im.. WHAT! I heard you failed the exam! HOW?" Teuchi yelled.

Appearing almost out of nowhere, Shino chimed in, "Yes, I too would like to hear how you managed to become a genin."

Naruto and Rend informed them of most every detail of their exploits, baring the part where they saw the depressed Hokage and the fact that he holds the Nine-Tails.

"Everything makes sense now. Mizuki sensei's traitorous ways were to sabotage you for his own gains. I knew something was foul when you two attempted your bunshin and a seal glowed underneath you." Shino stated.

"I KNEW WE COULDN'T HAVE FUCKED THE TEST UP!" Rend yelled, causing everyone to flinch.

"Loud ass..." Teuchi commented.

"But yeah, our squad seems pretty screwed though... only person I'd expect to be a good teammate is oddly enough Miki." Naruto thought aloud.

"And hell, is it just me or is she actually pretty damn cute?" Rend asked

"Pretty cute? I'd expect you to say she was 'Pretty DAMNED hot!' or something like that."

"Normally, but she seems like the type that will become a keeper in a couple years." Rend said slightly seriously

In a rare moment of boldness from Shino he said, "In a few years, I'd say that baring her dislike for my bugs she's is a keeper right now."

Everyone except for Teuchi were frozen. He eventually placed his hand on the boy's shoulders and said, "I knew you had it in you Kid."

The girl in question was walking up just in time to hear the conversation about her. She spoke up, "It doesn't please me to be a keeper in the eyes of a pervert like you Rend.. And Shino..." she looked into his sunglasses for a while, then flicked his forehead. "As long as you keep your bugs to yourself, you're ok by me." Her opinion of him rose during the fight since he didn't rely on his clan's bugs to win the battle. She still couldn't like the bugs themselves yet though.

"And their good taste in women came from yours truly!" Teuchi said with a mock bow before Ayame whacked him across the head.

"What can I get for you?" She asked sweetly.

The group talked fondly between themselves with Miki joining in every now and then, commenting on the vulgarity of the males in the group (save Shino since he is always calm) or adding her comments on battles. Naruto eventually got around to telling the name of their squad leader and Teuchi responded, "Kakashi huh? You're sensei doesn't suck ass like I expected. I assure you kids, that he's a man you can respect. Facin him on the battlefield is somethin that most people have nightmares about. Tomorrow, I want you to do me a favorite Naruto." He paused in order to see the head nod reply. "I want you to use some of my old gear." Teuchi disappeared into the back to reappear moments later with a set of gauntlets made of interlinking metal plates and a weird cross that seemed to be made of bone. "Those gauntlets are the ones I used to fight with back in my days as a brawler and that cross was a part of a gimmick I used to have when I got too damn cocky. I'd always thrust it into the ground before a match while yelling 'Driver!' to show that the fight was gonna be life or death. You do that, and I guarantee you that he'll remember it!" Naruto agreed immediately then equipped the gauntlets.

"I got the things refitted to your scrawny little arm. You'll have to rework em or get some more made when you grow a little." Teuchi said, his voice full of pride.

Trying to secure the cross to his back with a bit of cloth Naruto said, "I'll repair them, but I wouldn't dare change your weapon any Ossan."

Tired of seeing him struggle, Miki took the heavy cross away and said, "Here, let me help you. Idiot..." She drew a storage seal on a small sheet of paper.

"Shoulda thought of that... Thanks Miki!" Naruto said.

"My thoughts were right, you people are alright. Sure, a bit perverted, but alright no less. Just don't get TOO perverted!"

"Don't worry Sweet Cheeks, I might fancy a girl or two but I aint humpin no legs for kicks." Rend chuckled.

She shook her head, unsure of which 'cheeks' he referred to.

"He's much more of a gentleman than he lets on, I assure you." Shino stated

"And you, I'm surprised that someone as quiet as you would hang around them. No offense." Miki stated

"Well, they look past the bugs in my system and treat me as family. Ever since we became acquainted with one another Naruto and Rend were sure to include me in their schemes. They are true friends indeed." Shino replied

"I think I might have to look more into you guys... You're not the normal men I'm used to." Miki said seriously, then she had a moment of genius. If Shino had something in common with these three, then she might be able to get him to show an emotion other than calm. "I've taken a special interest in you, Bug Boy..." she said seductively while rubbing her finger around in a circle on Shino's chest.

He immediately fainted.

Chuckling, Miki separated from the group and went home. Teuchi and the boys used this time to be merciless toward their cherished friend. "YES SIR! YOU FOUND ONE THAT WANT TO TAKE YOU TO THE SACK!" Rend yelled out. Naruto was laughing too hard to say anything. Teuchi added, "I might need to let em borrow my Icha Icha for a few days, don't want one of my boys to do anything less than givin her noodle legs!" Rend laughed while Naruto and Ayame looked confused. Teuchi was glad his daughter didn't caught the joke but he made up his mind to teach his adopted son more about sex. Poor Shino's face couldn't get any redder and his normal precise and intelligent wording was replaced with stammering. He had lost. After Shino had decided to return to his home, the atmosphere grew more serious. "I told you two that upon graduating that you would get gifts from me. The gauntlets and cross were mine to Naruto, but you haven't received yours yet." He disappeared into the back once again and returned with a pure white sheath. "You said that you wanted a wakizashi but ended up findin a tanto. I felt that for a ninja son of mine, he should have what the FUCK he wanted in the first place so I called in an old favor. Congratulations Rend, Naruto." He said whill handing the weapon over with a tear that threatened to escape his eye. Rend unsheathed to see the blade was the same pure white as the sheath with a blue tribal pattern that mimiced his fur perfectly. Since he noticed the tears falling from Rend's eyes Teuchi commented, "Made of chakra steel like your brother's gauntlets.. I helped a man some years back who just so happened to be a blacksmith. I'm glad you're likin it so much." Rend silently cried and the makeshift family celebrated into the later hours, yet early enough for the boys to get to sleep for their next trial.

_**The Next Day**_

Naruto and Rend were not late, but still the last to arrive to the training grounds to wait for their sensei. Sakura was mad at him for some reason and strangely enough, Sasuke was watching him more intently than normal. Neither of the Okami brothers could place the expression, but Miki found herself snickering in understanding. Said girl was also the only one of the five (counting Rend) to eat breakfast. Sakura managed to complain for the entire two hours it took for Kakashi to appear.

"Sorry about being late, but a cat was stuck up a tree and I tried to help it. That was until the thing started to follow me around until I gave up trying to shake it." Kakashi said with a slightly dejected tone.

Sakura wasn't believing a word of it, until she heard Naruto yell, "Swiftpaw! I knew it was you when he first started complaining!"

The black cat in question seemed smug, licking its paw like the world was his own.

In the animal language, Rend barked, "Stop tailing our DAMN sensei! You're making him late all the time!"

Unphased, Swiftpaw replied. "Afraid I've moved on from you, Danna(1)?"

Rend flinched and replied, "I just don't want to have to wait two hours for whatever the hell he has cooked up!"

Because Swiftpaw wasn't close enough to really see, she said, "She's really taken to Rend huh?"

"Swiftpaw's a guy, and supposedly after the heart of another feline..." Naruto deadpanned in both english and animal speak.

"Tora WILL be my lady one day! She's the wife and I'll be Rend's if he lets me..."

Both Naruto and Rend spoke up, "That's wrong on soo many levels."

"Enough playing around! This is your test to see if you're truly qualified to be genin. As you can see in my hand, I hold three bells. Considering that Rend will assist Naruto regardless, they'll work together for each other but you all must try to get a bell. The one who doesn't shall return to the academy for another year! And don't you dare scream about fairness! Life as a ninja is nothing NEAR fair! Start the test!" Kakashi yelled as he stood in place with his favorite book in hand.

Everyone except for Naruto scattered into the surrounding trees. Naruto did as he was told by Ossan and unsealed the cross. "DRIVER!" he yelled as he plunged the cross into the soil. This shocked Kakashi more than anything had done for years as he reminisced about his most difficult fight with a civilian. "So Teuchi comes to haunt me again... Tell me Brat, did he have you follow his fighting style?" Kakashi said with a miniscule amount of respect in his voice. When he saw Naruto fall into stance for a split second he knew, and weaved back to evade a powerful right jab. The jounin **Shunshin**ned away and kicked Naruto in the back to start a powerful combo on his student. "You'll become a problem if you're as good at that style as your teacher..." Kakashi kicked the orange clad teen into a tree, which made him disappear in a poof of smoke. "I guess this group may be worth something." He thought as he prepared himself for combat.

Naruto however was still reeling from the combo. It had been a stroke of genius to switch places with a clone, so he could prevent being hit again. He immediately rethought his plan. "Should've expected that he fought Ossan once before, I mean I was told who to get under the man's skin!" Naruto thought as he traveled toward the east to find Miki. "So you're done trying the impossible?" Miki asked as Naruto nodded. "This requires all of us together to even get a SINGLE bell. He's a JOUNIN for god's sake!" Naruto simply nodded and listened. "So do you know where Rend is? Or the other two?" Miki asked as Naruto projected a thought toward Rend and everyone heard Sakura scream. "Rend's on his way here. And somehow I doubt that Sakura is even conscious..." Naruto said as he noticed Miki's surprise. "Rend is a talking Okami, and you mean to tell me that you're more surprised that we can tell where the other is located?"

"Good point, but you're tellin me who you two do that!" Miki proclaimed.

"Fine, but it doesn't mean that you'll be able to learn it. And I'm not being arrogant when I say that either!" Naruto said while defending himself.

"So Hotness, needs us after all..." Rend nearly whispered.

"Shut the hell up. I need to pass this test!" Miki replied. "We need to find Sasuke and save Sakura from whatever she got herself into in order to get the bells."

Rend caught on quicker than everyone this time, "But if there are only three bells, then not everyone will get one. Does that mean we're supposed to get rid of one member?"

Miki snapped without thinking, "No you idiot! Squads are normally four man cells including the sensei so dropping one of us would doom all of us!"

Naruto caught the hint, "So wait, does that mean that Kakashi sensei actually wants us to go against his orders?"

Sasuke walked into the area while dusting sand off of his shoulders, "So the Dead Last DOES have a brain..."

"I only got that title by default, Jackass. And yes I'm smarter, stronger, and more desirable than you." Naruto retorted.

Sasuke mentally agreed on the last part but retorted, "Says the person who only passed the finals when people weren't around to watch."

"I still kicked YOUR ass Sasuke! Or should I punish the 'precious' last Uchiha some more?"

Sasuke's mind traveled too far and too fast due to that statement, so he simply blushed and shut his mouth. Silence was damning, but stammering like a school girl with a crush would have ruined his image.

"Let's find Sakura." Naruto said as the group headed toward the direction her screams were heard in.

They found the young girl distraught and broken for some reason and whimpering Sasuke's name. Sasuke released her from whatever genjutsu she was under and she snapped back into reality. "Sasuke! You're alright, thank goodness Sasuke!" she whimpered as she tried to steal a hug and failed. Miki and Rend cringed at the devotion from the pink haired girl while Naruto simply watched in awe. "We have to take on Kakashi sensei as a team." Sasuke said, which made Sakura decided to assist the already formed group. The quintet started their way steathily toward the jounin as Sakura started on her genjutsu. "**Gejutsu: Quagmire**!" she called out as she sent the image into Kakashi's brain that he was being sucked into a swamp filled with alligators and thick mud beneath. Each of them were aware that the illusion alone would not hold, but the group prepared their own attacks.

"**Katon:Goukakyuu no Jutsu**" Sasuke shouted

"Ora ORa ORA!" Naruto yelled, while utilizing the combo he used against Sasuke

"**Doton: Earthen Fist**!" Miki stated calmly as a fist created from mud slammed into Kakashi

Rend simply executed a skillful swipe toward his sensei's belt and loosened the bells. Naruto, who had the most speed aside from Rend caught the bells and through them toward his teammates. Each of the three caught the bells, leaving Naruto and Rend without one. Kakashi spoke up immediately.

"So the decision is made. Naruto and Rend will have to spend another year in the academy since they didn't receive a bell."

"Wait! You can't do that! It was those two who helped us earn the bells!" Miki shouted.

"But they gave the bells up to you all, so apparently they wanted you to pass. Will you waste that opportunity?"

Before Naruto could defend her ways Miki stood firm and said, "For a ninja to sacrifice themseves to allow their team to succeed, that's true dedication! I'd gladly give up my spot on this team to ensure that our village is protected by someone who would put themselves aside for the greater cause!"

Naruto spoke up as well. "I know that you only had three bells. And I know that individually, none of us stood even the slightest chance of touching you so me and my brother used a plan that would sacrifice as little as possible to reach the necessary goal. Miki is right in standing up for us but our village DEMANDS ninja who would serve it the way that we are supposed to! For the sake of Konoha we push forward!"

Kakashi started to clap. "You all pass. This was a test to see if you all would work together as ninja to reach a common goal. It was also to see if you would be willing to break said rules in order to protect your comrades. And Miki, the way you defended your fellow genin shows that you have the will of fire within you! Your missions will start tomorrow and from this day forth, you are now undeniable genin ninja of the leaf village!"

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><p>1: Danna normally means husband but can also mean master.<p>

The yaoi hints will always and forever remain hints. I will not do yaoi stories unless the urge strikes or someone requests one. The pairings are still undecided so far, but I have a slight idea about them. The squad missions and the introduction into the Okami missions will happen next chapter. I do hope that this story continues to keep you as interested as you are now and grow better with time. Reviews are much appreciated, but never mandatory.

P.S. I do intend to start on the Story of Teuchi. It'll probably be called Tetsujin: Brawling Ramen Chef


	10. Of Tasks and Foolishness

Sprig: I'm always glad to know that I made you laugh!**  
><strong>Narudevilfan: I'll try to keep a steady pace of uploading, though I'm not one to lie to myself and said I could set up a specific schedule.

Thanks for the reviews and thank you for reading :)

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><p><strong>CHAPTER 10<strong>

Kakashi spent the first part of the next day to figure out exactly were his new students were. Aside from the three academy jutsu that the ninja learned, each of the had already mastered the tree walking exercise and had at least on jutsu that they learned on their own. He was most impressed by the **Kage Bunshin** that Naruto and Rend were so fond of using. Sasuke and Miki showed similar promise, but the jounin sensei knew that he would have to push Sakura to grow stronger like kunoichi should. He made particular note to use Sasuke as an incentive for the pinkette, for anyone with eyes could tell that she was obsessed with the last Uchiha. The others would prove much easier to train, since all of them desired strength as if it were their natural callings. But due to his use of the **Sharingan**, he decided to focus more on Sasuke than the others while still helping the others gain strength. He could show favoritism without letting on enough for the others catch on. Team 7 started on their first mission.

Sandaime Hokage decided that the first mission that Team 7 should receive would need to be the capture of the Fire Daimyo's cat. Everyone on the team except for a certain duo already knew the stories about said cat, and found themselves dreading the mission they were given. Naruto and Rend however were glad that they had an excuse to visit an old acquaintance. Kakashi made it known fairly quickly that he would not help them on this mission, and the others save Sakura showed little to no skill at dealing with animals. Sasuke was too focused on getting the mission done to prove his worth. Miki couldn't see herself being nice to the feline just because she was a pet of someone who's high ranked. Sakura loved felines of any type so she wanted to bond with the cat as soon as possible.

"Can we make a stop before starting this mission?" Naruto asked

"Why should we, I told you to gather up all of your supplies before we started." Kakashi said with an annoyed tone.

"Its not ABOUT supplies! I just want to check with an informant to see where our target is." Naruto replied.

The group walked toward the center of Konoha until they met up with a certain cat that made Kakashi cringe. "Swiftpaw, do you know where your beloved Tora is right now?" The cat in question thought for a minute and licked its paw as it replied, "Of course I do! Tora is in the forest near training ground 41 and is currently asleep after enjoying a moment of sunbathing." the mostly black cat said as he noted the urgency in his friends' tone. "She should still be there if you leave right now." Swiftpaw said as the team quickly rushed toward the grounds. The info was proven quite true, since Tora didn't wake up until Team 7 were right upon her.

"Tora chan..." Naruto started.

"SAMA! You will call me Tora sama HUMAN!" she said with her head held high.

The other ninja just saw a smug looking cat that mewed at the barking young blond.

"Tora...sama. You're owner has sent us looking for you, and if you come calmly I'll make sure that none of them touch you."

"I don't trust the pink haired one, but you've helped me in the past. You're word as my servant means alot, be grateful! To be a servant for someone such as I is an honor!" Tora said with undeniable pride.

"Then come with us." Naruto said, though he knew he would bring about judgment on the overly proud feline.

The others were just surprised to see that the stubborn cat they'd heard soo much about would give in so quickly. "I convinced her to join us to the Hokage tower." Naruto said as he started making his way toward his destination. The supposedly violent cat herself spent the entire trip to the Hokage's office sitting calmly on Rend's back. Unbeknownst to the others, Tora claimed that Rend was tolerable because he smelled a little like her favorite tom. This opened the floodgates on Rend, allowing his brother many jokes on the closeness of the wolf and a certain bicurious feline. Rend for once couldn't form a reply fast enough to stop the onslaught. This was worse than Rend's assault on Naruto and Sasuke earlier.

**_Flashback: Before the mission._**

_"That damn Cyclops manages to be late again... And Swift promised me that he wouldn't make the man late today!" Rend complained._

_"Shut up, loud little pup!" Sasuke tried, thinking that he could win a war of words._

_Miki shuddered and thought, "Bad move Uchiha..."_

_"What, did the queer say something to someone decides Naruto? Bro, apparently you let him off the lease today!" Rend laughed_

_"The HELL? I AINT GOT NOTHIN TO DO WITH THAT BASTARD!" Naruto defended unsuccessfully._

_"Aw look, he's denyin you now! Shoulda been a better pet or he wouldn't 've tossed you aside. But what the hell, you could always kiss and make up..." Rend said as he started his run. Naruto and Sakura were chasing him at this point while Miki clutched her stomach as she fell to the ground laughing. Sasuke's eyes had never opened so wide before._

_"Are you sure you're not the one with closet fantasies Rend? Seems like its all you want to talk about!" Miki started, knowing that he wouldn't let up unless someone steered him from the subject._

_He only laughed and pulled out a photo. "Poor lass, you were absent that day... our beloved BL(1) Bandit here had his first kiss with Sunshine over there..." He pointed at an even more furious Naruto. He had used the leaf exercise and a simple camera to take the picture, and now used the same strategy to show the girl the picture._

_Miki grabbed a hold of the picture and a small trickle of blood escaped her nose. Sakura noticed the exchange and snatched the picture for her own reasons. Sasuke would not allow anyone to see the picture he didn't know existed, so he yelled, "_**Goukakyuu**_!" and fire ended the picture with a poof. Rend had applied the _**Kage Bunshin**_ technique to the photo in question. Sakura tried to steal the original, but Rend easily stopped that. He offered, "Listen, I'll give you what you want for about 25 Ryo(2) and a promise that you'll stop hatin my brother." She quickly accepted the copy and went into her own little world. Naruto eventually caught the Okami and gave him his much deserved beating. Sasuke could only sulk as his kiss with Naruto would be something he would never live down._

**_Flashback End_**

The rather large group eventually made it back to the Hokage's office and received their pay. They each received 50 Ryo due to the amount of people on the squad, which also meant that if they were on a normal sized squad the amount would have been closer to 83 Ryo per person.(3) The only real reason genin hated that mission was due to the normal difficulty of capturing Tora. Kakashi decided that the group would do good to get another mission under their belt before the day ends, so he stepped up for another task. The group would be responsible for painting a civilian's fence and the payout would be 100 Ryo between the genin. So they walked past the shopping district toward the civilian living areas until they saw a blue house with a ridiculous painting of an Oni on the roof. The man who needed assistance stood outside.

"Is that Dem... No wait Majin(4)?" The man asked.

Seeing that Kakashi seemed ready to pounce Rend said, "Cool it Sensei, Majin's a friendly term around these parts."

"Old Man! You managed to piece this old fence back together? I thought that guy with the drunken horses totalled it!" Naruto joked

"H..hey! He lost that bet fair, and those wild bastards have been tame ever since!" The man immediately laughed after hearing his own statement come out. Who in their right mind would make a man offer his horses sake because they lost a bet.

"You only won because he didn't know I play poker like a pro..." Naruto stated.

"Trust me, I remember. All I had to do was say 'I bet that you can't beat this kid in quick pitch of the cards' and he jumped on it! Hell, he's the reason you got that name of yours Kid."

**_Short Flashback:_**

_"Wha... HOW? This little sonuvabitch is cleanin me OUT!" a man in a western cowoboy's attire said_

_"Royal Flush." Naruto said as he laid out his cards in a smug manner. He was more than grateful that Teuchi Ossan taught him this game!_

_"FUCK THIS! Here's 130 Ryo and my Carving knife, but I'm gettin the HELL outta here!" The Cowboy stormed off, yelling to no one, "That boy's the GATDAMN DEVIL!"_

_The civilian who made the cowboy take the bet had a crooked sense of humor and told him, "I won't milk you of any more of your money but a bet's a bet. I'll have you feed them damn horses of yours this Sake!"_

_Drunk horses plus a cowboy attempting to ride off in a hurry from a crazy town equals said drunken horses falling into the fence then attacking said fence for tripping them._

**_Flashback End_**

Naruto basically did the entire job himself, his shadow clones made quick work of the task while the original talked about old times. D ranked missions with the civilians gave the jounin sensei and the genin who paid attention a great deal of insight on Naruto and Rend's life. Young Naruto was still considered the demon brat by the most of Konoha, but people who respected Teuchi quickly took to the boy. The main reason for this is the people who stayed around the ramen chef were generally sensible, understanding that if Naruto was truly a demon he would never have allowed others to attack him. Some simply trusted the man's judgment, the boy seemed like a good kid and the wolf could fuckin talk! After the cowboy incident, those who were charmed by the boy took to calling him Majin instead of demon. This meant that if they ever heard villagers chanting "Demon" that the few cries for "Majin" showed that they did have allies. No physical blows where thrown if someone called out Majin.

"Hey Naruto, remember that one woman who was at that party?" Rend asked out of the blue

"The woman with the red hair? Damn RIGHT I REMEMBER!"

Seeing the confusion on the other's faces Rend decided to share. "There was this one chick at this party Ossan took us to after a night of drinking. Naruto was so wasted that he and the bartender decided to hop on the bar and striptease. The shit was HILARIOUS!" Kakashi snickered while Rend and Miki laughed loudly as they walked. Sakura wondered if she could get a drunken striptease from Sasuke. Sasuke was uncharacteristically silent. "But that wasn't the end of it of course. The woman, hotter than a summer sexfest, scooped him up right off the bar like a predator and stayed in his lap the entire night! She woulda took him home with her if it weren't for his age!"

Naruto shuddered and suddenly bolted toward the Hokage's office. Rend sweatdropped and the others looked confused. They all turned to see a crimson haired woman walking up to them.

"Aww... I missed my little Majin! And shame on you Rend! You're little recap didn't do him justice!" Said woman ranted

"Aw hell, here we go..." Rend muttered.

"I wanted to claim him as mine the moment I saw him dance." she said with a dreamy look in her eyes. "The way he gyrated and those Wonderful thrusting moves he did prove that he'll be a MONSTER in the bedroom... You two little vixens better keep your hands off him! Once that gorgeous young man turns 16 he's MINE FOR THE TAKING!"

The woman, Naruto affectionately calls Danger, walked off cackling and leaving a horrified group behind her. Rend made up his mind at that point to warn his brother anytime she's nearby. Sasuke was pale as a ghost and the two young ladies passed out due to the perverted implications the woman made. Kakashi decided at that point that Teuchi and his friends were all insane. They eventually recovered and entered the Hokage's office to see a terrified Naruto and the Sandaime Hokage laughing uncontrollably. After getting debriefed on the day's missions, Hiruzen dismissed all but Naruto, Rend, and Kakashi. Immediately as they left Jiraiya hopped in through the window.

"It's about time for you two to start your tasks protecting the balance of nature and with Kakashi as your sensei, he needs to know why you'll be disappearing tomorrow." the Gama Sennin stated. He then started explaining everything Kakashi needed to know about the two brother's ordeals to come.

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><p>1. Boys Love, or as I jokingly say Battle Lancing.<p>

2. Ryo is used a lot, but I have NO idea how much money that amounts to so its the same as a dollar.

3. The fire Daimyo's gotta have money to burn so I'd guess that the mission to find the precious cat would have pretty decent pay.

4. Majin (unless I'm wrong and don't shoot me cause I only have one continue left) means devil. Majin looks cooler so I'm going with that. Calling a demon a devil wouldn't mean much to hateful villagers, but it makes for a deceptive way to show a hated young man that he has support.

But enough of that, the Okami brothers finally take their first step toward defending nature in the next chapter!


	11. Of Responsibility and Chakra

RamenKnight Even though I'm almost certain that you're no longer reading this story I'll say this. It sucks to lose a reader, but this story has a vulgar edge to it and it will stay that way. Eventually it will even be bumped up to M rating because of the themes of the story.

Other notes, I'm only partially pleased with this chapter. It was a hard one to write.

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><p><strong>CHAPTER 11<strong>

_**Hokage's Office**_

After explaining everything about Naruto and Rend's predicament to their sensei, he decided to let Kakashi and the Sandaime Hokage know the icing on the cake. "As of right now, the Kid calls Rend his brother and people just run with it because of the fact that Rend's not human. But doing the same would be completely foolish on your parts if you decide to do the same. The bond of companionship is a strong one indeed, merging the two parties' blood be make them true brothers. By accepting the task of being protectors of balance, they have been guaranteed to share their blood as well as their capabilities on a lesser scale. Naruto's great chakra capacity has been proven constantly to be the result of a bloodline, and Rend seems to have mirrored this effect after their bonding. Conversely, Rend's natural ease of control over chakra is due to his own blood and the ability has been given to Naruto. That being said, Naruto's DNA carries an insane disposition to be a chakra powerhouse with great control and Rend's DNA carries insane chakra control with massive chakra reserves. I'm sure you're seeing where I'm going with this Sensei.." Jiraiya said as he concluded his speech. Hiruzen's eyes widened as he thought about the possibilities involving that information. He was well aware of the information given, yet somehow forgot what it could mean for the young men.

"So you're saying that the two of them could and should be quite able to create their own clans, birthing shinobi capable of feats some will never reach?" The Hokage basically stated instead of asking.

"Besides giving the two of them the immunity by clan head status, you KNOW how beneficially great control and high chakra reserves would be at an early age! With Rend naturally being half Celestial being its obvious just how much strength Konoha stands to gain even IF you weren't considering the children's happiness!" Jiraiya countered.

"Wait, you lost me there Jiraiya. What do you mean celestial being?" he said while giving his former pupil a skeptical glance.

"Hokage sama, I'd like to explain to you a few things. Rend is no ordinary wolf by any means, he is one of the fabled Okami."

"But I thought they were simple myths!" the Sandaime nearly shouted.

"Not hardly. But as I was saying, Okami have been balancing the powers of nature since long before the Rikudo Sennin's time and have constantly made sure that our use of jutsu and destructive ways would not be allowed to destroy nature. Rend would eventually have been thrust into this profession in time anyway, but little Naruto here wanted to be with his brother every step of the way so the two of them are now walking the path of the Okami! But the part that was not explained earlier is that in order for Rend to actually take on a human body that would be able to mate with human, the two bould BOTH have to become half-Celestials. That status itself woulf be earned after defeating an avatar of each element."

Hiruzen listened intently, knowing that this information was clearly bigger than the village itself. "And since the two Balance Protectors are from Konoha, I would have to ensure that these two were safe from threats within our own walls... But wait! Where is the catch?"

Jiraiya chuckled and then replied, "The catch is, that no one should accompany the two during their travels to quiet the elements unless they themselves are aware of the task involved. That and the fact that these two are the ones who say yes or no on WHO knows their task and who joins them."

"Fair enough. And to ease your mind, we have a certain genin who is ready to fill any hole in our genin squads so there will alwas be some circulation."

"Jiji... How do you plan on giving me and Rend a clan?"

Jiraiya spoke up with a serious tone of voice before starting. "Clan status is given to those among the Konoha ranks that possess bloodlines, which would no doubt bring power to the Hidden Leaf in exchange for immunity to certain 'treatment' toward the clan head. By no means does that many that a clan head is above the law, but what it does mean is that no one can attempt to harm you without just cause and escape a due punishment." Naruto and Rend soaked the information in intently, knowing exactly why the two men would want them to utilize this option. Hiruzen continued on, "The creation of a clan does however require the Clan head to accept multiple life partners in order to build the numbers of the clan members. In short, multiple wives and more than a few children."

With this, Naruto started to frown slightly and even the lewd Rend seemed a bit uncertain. The two males had a great appreciation for women and were admittedly uncomfortable with the idea of polygamy, mostly due to the potential lack of love involved. Naruto and Rend's experiences with apathy and disdain gave birth to a strong desire to prevent others from said fate, so trapping someone in a marriage to ensure children seemed unacceptable. The Sandaime noticed their expressions and quickly tried to soothe their doubts. "Now know this, we won't force either of you into clan head status OR force you to marry someone you don't love. And no one will pressure you two into having children, especially since the both of you are still young. Law states that you two would have to be age 16 before you can even be officially recognized, so you don't even have to decide yet. I advice you two to do your own research on the Clan Restoration Act before making any decisions." The two boys simply nodded.

"Back to the matter at hand, the mission. For now the two of you will start on the simplest type of mission Okami receive, which is to calm the elemental balance by drawing excess elemental essense from a disturbance point. You two will be heading toward the Land of Valleys, where near the outskirts of the area lies a particularly high amount of fire essense. Due to your brotherhood pact, your eyes will automatically adjust to the sense necessary to see the disturbances. In this case, the air will seem to have mass amounts of embers floating in the air with similar effects from the other elements. The disturbances normally aren't visible to the naked eye unless it nears the amount which can condense into an avatar. Your objective is to draw the essence into yourselves, letting your bodies naturally purify it, and expel said energy. My assigned partner and your sister Mercury shall enlighten the two of you as to how to purify energies. I take up the reigns when she feels that you two can operate well enough. Be ready at the gate by 6 p.m."

The two boys enthusiatically replied and dashed off to prepare, while the three men continued to talk about the duo's mission and status. The young men were given the task to ensure that the elements of nature continued their balance. The wolf that all knew as Rend was not only a being they thought was only a legend, but he had accepted an ordeal to eventually become a halfling and dramatically boost Konoha's military might. Naruto would become half-celestial and in turn, gain the natural ability to cleanse evils. This could become an indefinite solution to the Nine-Tailed Fox's hatred and end all attempts to take over. Jiraiya allowed Kakashi the information behind the Okami Mother's reasoning, the fact that absorbing the elements would boost the chakra capacity and control of them enough to brace the duo for eventually dealing with the avatars themselves. Hiruzen did what any self-respecting leader would do in his position, displayed an almost innocent expression of awe while asking to meet said Honorable mother. The younger two knew better than to laugh at the uncharacteristic display, but made sure to imprint the image into memory. With a promise to inquire further on the request and a nudge toward the Jounin sensei to make sure the other genin can keep up, Jiraiya disappeared in a puff of smoke.

_**Naruto and Rend's Apartment**_

The two boys blurred around the rooms, gathering up whatever things they thought they would need on a mission outside of Konoha. Their first mission as Okami. Their first time far outside of the village. The anticipation and the lack of awareness coming from the two young men nearly caused them to have a heartattack. Dropping from the ceiling was a familiar Okami whose markings were a shade of gray that looked near metallic. The tips of her ears were pierced with a small heart shaped charm on both and her tongue flicked across her lips as she landed on Naruto.

"Hey there Cutey...Remember me?" Mercury said, earning a deep frown from her 'prey.'

"I'll be glad to answer that once you get the HELL off of me!"

"Once again, you're no fun Naruto-kun..."

"Why do you like gettin on top of me anyway?" Naruto sighed as he struggled underneath her.

"Would you rather bend me over, _Little Man_?" She said, attacking his pride using his short stature. "I didn't think we were at that stage yet..."

"Wha..WHAT! I'm not into animals Lady!"

"For that I won't get off of you just yet! And I'll show you just how much of a Woman I am once you two succeed in earning halfling status!" Mercury pouted, annoyed that the young man had effectively countered her comments.

Naruto was a smart one, as he noticed that he finally had the upper hand. "Lookin forward to it, _Nee-chan_!" he said with a smirk.

Mercury then hopped up with a hmph and stood in front of the two. After a few seconds of concentration, she channeled chakra above her to show an illusion of Naruto. "I'm not here to babysit you two, so I'll get right to my job. Purification lessons. Watch every motion that the illusion does Naruto, and Rend you pay attention to the fundamental reasons behind each action." The illusion Naruto used the handsigns for his Kage Bunshin, but started to draw chakra into his body. With every inhale, chakra that was a tainted blue color in the illusion would become the bright healthy blue that it normally was. "This exercise is called **Purifying Breathing** and draws in chakra through the nasal passages were it converts it into chakra suited for your own usage. This is only one of many purifying arts, but for a simple mission it will more than suffice. One warning though, do NOT attempt to take the chakras of nature without purifying it. That is a higly advanced technique that will undoubtably kill anyone who does not have the necessary understandings of how to do so. Many young Okami have found themselves destroyed by attempting to tame nature without understanding it. I... don't want to lose you boys too." Mercury said in a serious tone that neither of them had ever heard from her. The two boys focused on learning the basic process of the skill, until about a half hour later they felt ready.

"Yer makin this too easy Sis! We're takin this mission and ALL others by storm!" Rend boasted.

"You're sister Rem nearly died on this same type of mission because of that headstrong thinking."

This affected Naruto more than Rend. "I won't let anything happen to either of us, Mercury Nee."

"I knew I could count on you, Naruto..." she said with all of her normal playfulness gone.

She then started to expel a moderate amount of her chakra into the air. "I won't let either of you take this mission until you can purify some of my chakra." Mercury said, allowing some of her normal playfulness to slip out. The two boys shrugged this off, as well as the fact that the chakra itself came out a rose red color. They hopped into their respective stances, Naruto imitating the illusion and Rend crouching in a ready stance, and started to draw the chakra into themselves. "This will also be your first challenge on expelling elemental chakra... so be prepared!" the woman said, laughing immediately after as if she told the best joke in the world. So lost in their concentration, the boys simply didn't react to the comment at all and cleaned the air of her chakra completely within fifteen minutes. Mercury said her goodbyes as she sent the two off toward their mission, knowing that she started them on two new experiences. "Lets see how you react to a type of chakra most people believe is only a myth..."

_**Walking toward the gate**_

Naruto was the first to feel differently after gathering Mercury's chakra. He found himself noticing the women in town a great deal more than usual, watching a few civilian ladies' hips as they walked by. Rend however, didn't quite realize the difference until a familiar timid walk was spotted in the crowd. At that moment as if by instinct, Rend said loud enough for only Naruto to hear, "**Eyes of the Hunter no Jutsu**!" His normally blue eyes became more feral and became the exact same color as Mercury's chakra as his eyes locked onto the Hyuuga Heiress that he and Naruto liked to notice. After watching her walk for a while and his perverse giggling was done he spoke to Naruto, "If you don't go after Hinata, I might have to take her from you in a few years..."

"Wha..I'm not chasin after Hinata like that! She's just a classmate!"

"A classmate that you've been eyin the past two years!"

Changing the subject, Naruto asked. "And what the hell was that 'Eye of the Hunter' thing about?"

"Somethin in me just clicked and I channeled Mercury's chakra into my eyes. Next thing you know I'm granted a very...pleasing sight." Rend said, trying to stifle his perverted giggling.

Intrigued by the new techinque Naruto did the same. "**Eye of the Hunter no Jutsu**!" he said as he mirrored the same action as Rend, channeling rose red chakra into his eyes. His eye however, locked onto the very generous bust of a certain redhead. "Oh SHIT!" Naruto said while quickly disappearing. Rend used the perverted jutsu again and quickly saw the reason his brother ran away. While literallly rolling on the floor laughing, he managed to get out, "DANGER!" Eventually, after shaking the lustful woman off their trail the Okami brothers made it to the gate with little time to spare.

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><p>Just to give a small hint on the storyline. Purifying elemental disturbances will happen in between the first few arcs. Wave Country Arc. Chunin exams. Sasuke Retrieval Arc. Please feel free to tell me if you think I'm dragging my feet on moving the story forward. Pairings are still undecided.<p> 


	12. Of Purification and Lessons

Sorry for the short chapter, but I didn't want to keep drawing out the timeline and I figured that it would be quite a bit easier to write the AU stuff before and during the Timeskip. And I'll warn everyone now, even though I may have humor in my story it will eventually be rated M. Plenty cursing, much more realistic damage done on missions to enemies AND Konoha ninja. I will say this though, I believe the direction I'm takin the story should keep you all interest as you are and hopefully more :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the name Rend Razorjaw. The name comes from the MMO Perfect World

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><p><strong>CHAPTER 12<strong>

"So you two finally managed to show up. Have a little trouble purifyin chakra?" Jiraiya asked.

"Hell no! We had to send half the time escaping HIS damn admirer!" Rend complained.

"Well at least you're not the one she's tryin to FU.." Naruto said before being interrupted.

Jiraiya started to summon one of his toads. "Baring that little incident, we won't have you two traveling for days just for one simple task so we'll use one of my toads. Gamaten?" The toad addressed had a completely white complexion, save the burnt orange shaded skin arond his eyes. (sage mode) He nodded and opened his mouth wider than normally possible to swallow up the two young men. Jiraiya himself waited a few seconds after following the boys.

_**Land of Valleys**_

Though thoroughly disgusted by the means of travel, Naruto and Rend were given the pleasant surprise that the toad's insides were not wet at all. The duo were swallowed into a small room with a sparce seating and a tea set placed in the center of a table. It would be their first experience with pocket dimensions. Both talked about how excited they were that their trial had started, as well as the information about restoring clans. It wold provide much needed protection, but it did also require the duo to take more than one wife. Rend however eventually realised one key fact. "You know... Since we both know how it feels to be excluded and hated, it means that we also know how we don't want people to be treated. Now, I ain't sayin that we should just screw people for the shear fuck of it but think of it this way. You'll get the family you've always wanted out of the deal, and I can't say I don't want a litter of pups of my own. If we decide to do this thing, then we just have to promise to love each and every person we have to mate with." The two continued talking about the clan and earning Rend his human body(1) as the travelled for about thirty minutes.

The scenery outside the toad was one that awed the Okami brothers. A stark contrast to the forests of Konoha sat low grasses that seemed to stretch out indefinitely. The sky even seemed bluer here. Jiraiya appeared behind the two and spoke up, shocking them out their skins. "We're here kids!" He said, noticing there shock. "I know you didn't think I'd send you two on your first mission unsupervised. Nevermind. What I want to advice you of before you seek out the disturbance, is that when you absorb the chakra you will have to expel it shortly afterwards. Absorbing it will increase your chakra reserves, but the energy is not your own so keeping it in would only damage your chakra network. I speak from experience when I was it WILL hurt if you try to keep the energy inside you. The energy will want to be expelled so the next part is easy. Jutsu. No handsigns needed, just think of what you want the technique to look like and fire it in a way that won't harm the environment." Seeing the perverse excitement in the two's eyes he spoke up. "I know what you're thinking, but this only marginally allows you to retain any proficiency with the elements. And any jutsu created will only become usable in actual combat if you somehow manage to creat the correct handsigns and understand the physics behind it all. It won't be an easy powerup like you're expecting, but it will help expand your capabilities." The reality check hurt them for only seconds, since neither of them wanted some cheap, quick powerup. The two did however, focus on the task at hand and started searching for the disturbance.

"I see it! Its a short walk from here!" Naruto called out.

Rend followed behind him quickly with Jiraiya preferring to only stay in watching distance. "Hell yes! Lets gather it up quickly so we can get to usin!"

The Okami brothers quickly assumed the respective stances for the Purifying Breathing technique and started drawing the energy in. The air around them, which held dancing embers within started to pulse then recede into the boys. What Jiraiya didn't tell the two was that each element would have a different effect on different people when absorbed. His first encounter with the task was absorbing water chakra in Wave and it altered his personality into that of a prude instead of a pervert until he rid himself of every drop of the element's chakra. He could see Rend's markings glow purple while Naruto's hair grew past his shoulders and became a burnt orange shade. The respective changes were rare, but occured enough for him to warned against overreacting.

Naruto was the first to speak up and say, "Fuck this feels great!" Jiraiya guessed that the personality change was like his during his first trial.

Rend was much more subdued and said, "Indeed. If only one would be able to keep such a pure offering of the flame."

The two started to release flames in some of the most creative ways. Naruto threw a few of his boxing straights and allowed flames to shot from his fists, before allowing his right hook to spin him in a circle. This created a small flame ring which ended up directed into the air when Naruto skillfully switched to a textbook uppercut. Rend however was stationary and allowed his flames to spin around a few feet in front of him as he yelled out. "**Katon: Fire Spin**!" The flames created a human sized tornado before spiralling upwards then descending onto its center. Jiraiya supposed that had there been a human inside the technique, the flame's heat could cook and disorient the enemy before incinerating them. A great technique if ever created. After displaying a few more abilities that were flame based, the two had overcome the different energy and became themselves again. That's when things went from intelligent to foolish. Rend was apparently trying to light the seat of Naruto's pants on fire.

Naruto suddenly stopped and called out "Rend wait! Check this out." He then Henged into Sasuke and placed a scowl on his face. He started slapping his hands together like he was giving himself a handshake, clapped them together a few times, then wriggled his fingertips together before yelling in Sasuke's voice. "**Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu**!" His fireball laughably small and the handsigns had both onlookers in tears, laughing at the horrific recreation of the technique. After calming themselves, the two made sure to rid themselves of the rest of the chakra. Unbeknownst to them, a wandering creature that resembled an ox looked upon the entire scene. Jiraiya then explained to the boys the effects of their actions. Their appearances and personality changes were brought about by the nature of the element itself. Naruto exhibited the hotblooded nature of fire whereas Rend showed the proud, lively aspects of it. It was only an occurance when fledgling Okami didn't know themselves enough to keep their personality in check. That said, both boys made a promise to themselves to be unconditionally true to themselves from then on. Jiraiya had made sure to get the boys back home before the sun went completely down.

_**Naruto and Rend's Apartment**_

"Before I leave today, I want you two to tell me what all you learned today."

"That Naruto is a genius of handsigns?" Rend asked playfully

It earned him a punch to the top of his head.

"That every element of nature has characteristics much like human beings." Naruto stated.

"And that a protector of balance must know themselves to continue to protect said balance." Rend chimed in.

"Creating jutsu is much more than having an idea and simply trying it."

"That constant usage of chakra in a controlled will keep your reserves growing."

"Right, so that means that you two should be sure to exercise your chakra a great deal to improve your already vast reserves." Jiraiya left on that note, ready to tell the Hokage of the mission's success and request a few certain things before checking on his spy network.

At the same time, Naruto and Rend went to Ichiraku to eat their fill and tell the day's events to their family. Shino happened to be there with Miki and surprisingly Shikamaru. His reasoning was that his stomach growled on the way to his destination and it would have been too troublesome to go farther than the ramen stand. The group sat and chatted, Rend pulling Shikamaru into the conversation at times and Shino commenting more than Shikamaru expected. The calculating young man decided that the group and the stand weren't too bad, but he wouldn't become like Teuchi. His vulgarity and obvious lack of concern for giving alcohol to the young ninja kept him from latching onto the group like Iruka. "Being laid back is fine, but I know that like would become infinitely more troublesome if I EVER spoke like that around a woman." Shikamaru said, possibly saving him hundreds of potential problems that being mannish would cause.

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><p>1. I find it easier to say that he is earning his body than saying that he's earning the right to mate with humans.<p>

And I have decided on Rend partners. Naruto though... ? That and Itou will return next chapter.


	13. Of Missions and Foreshadowing

Quite sorry for the long wait for this chapter and even more sorry that its so short, its just that this chapter was a struggle to write. And the worst part is that I don't lack inspiration in general, its just that this chapter was difficult.

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><p><strong>CHAPTER 13<strong>

_**The Next Day**_

Naruto and Rend were much more observant than people gave them credit for, so they quickly gathered the fact that Kakashi would always be at least two hours later. This prompted them to waste a bit of time each day before meeting their team. Today they happened upon Training Ground 8 were they were treated with the sight of the trio training their techniques, well more overtly Kiba's techniques.

"YA-HOOO!" Kiba yelled while hopping into his clan's stance. Akamaru hopped onto his back and transformed into another Kiba

Kurenai set out a dummy to allow the duo the feel of a physical, albeit unmoving, opponent to test their techniques on. Akamaru hopped off his partner's back and quickly circled the dummy's side in a pincer formation. Their use of a more advanced version of the Man-Beast clone technique, allowed the normally non-vocal Akamaru to speak and they quickly started their assault. Kiba started with his Tsuuga launching the dummy into the air, Akamaru quickly slamming into its right side. Kiba then executed a midair swipe from the left side. Akamaru's next hit came from below, then the pair brought the attack to its climax by hitting the nearly destroyed dummy with a Gatsuuga from above and slamming what was left of the dummy into the ground. "Gat! Gat! Gat! Gat!** GATSUUGA**!" The duo yelled with each respective hit, speaking in unison with the final hit. Kurenai praised her student for his use of the jutsu, then cast her eyes on the now clapping audience.

"Damn Kiba... And here I thought you were all talk!" Rend joked.

"Me and Akamaru could always put you and Naruto at the business end of an asswhoopin if need be!" Kiba said, liking the rivalry the two pairs maintained.

"Tall talk that can't be backed up Kiba! But still, that move was brutal!" Naruto commented."

"Mind telling me why you two boys are here?" Kurenai said, slightly annoyed. Despite the fact that their competitions drove Kiba to get stronger, they were still interrupting his training right now.

"Kakashi sensei's bein late again so we decided to wander around a bit." Naruto stated with a bored expression.

The Genjutsu Mistress frowned at that information, angry that Kakashi apparently didn't take his job seriously.

"Naruto, Rend. How are things with you two? Have things started to heat up yet?" Shino asked quietly.

"Damn straight! But we'll have to tell you later." Rend said a little louder than expected, causing Kurenai's annoyance to grow twofold.

"Find your way back to your team, Boys." Kurenai said in a tone that promised pain if ignored.

Without a word, the two fled the scene. Of course that left Shino and Kiba confused to her annoyance, until they remembered her aversion to vulgar language. Shino decided he would have to tell his two "brothers" this later today. Naruto seemed less disturbed by the woman's anger, but fled nonetheless. It did however cause the duo to only waste an hour. This gave the trio an opportunity to hear Sakura's constant attempts to get into Sasuke's pants and to see that Miki spent her time by meditating while practicing her tree walking. Apparently, she took her ninja training damn seriously. Naruto and Rend simply held random conversations while they waited.

_**An Hour Later**_

"Sorry I'm late, while I was headed toward you guys a house caught fire and I had to put out the flames while helping save six babies." Kakashi said as if it were undoubtably true.

"I call bullshit on that Sensei! Just sayin..." Rend replied.

"Danna..." a certain feline said.

"Wait? THE CAT CAN TALK TOO?" Sakura and Miki both shouted.

"Maybe..." Swiftpaw said, causing everyone but Naruto to sweatdrop. The blond facepalm at the cat's behavior.

"I don't even want to know HOW that's possible..." Rend mumbled.

"Well, since you so politely asked... I'll explain. Most people think that only the Tailed Beasts and summons have the ability to communicate with humans. The truth of the matter is that certain creatures have to live a certain age before gaining that ability. The feline's age is around ten years, conciding with your myths of the nekomata. True be told though, most never have enough energy inside them to become one and even then few gain the fabled necromancy abilities. Simply put, I'm old for a cat but just young enough to be Tora chan's husband and Rend's wife..."

The young Okami had tried with his entire spirit to prevent those words from being said. Putting a paw in front of his face didn't work, pouncing him would only cause a very...unappealing reaction, and trying to stuff his tail in the cat's mouth would become weird. Freaky weird! Naruto could only laugh as he saw the evil smirks on Sasuke's face and the mischevious glint in Miki's eyes. Kakashi's reaction happened to be the best, or worst depending on opinion, since he had to come to terms with the fact that the peculiar black cat that had taken to stalking him was not only able to talk but also gaining powers similar to those of the spirits in fairy tales. The ever famous jounin found the one thing that could put him in the fetal position, a bisexual twin tailed cat.

After a gallon of teasing and a bit of reassurance for Kakashi, the squad headed toward the Hokage tower. The group walked in silence, expecting the mission to be something that anyone could complete. D ranked missions were normally tasked that any none ninja could accomplish. That said though, the civilain council had decided that each team needed to take on a few missions with no real fear of dying before they could take one something worthy of true shinobi. Personal feelings aside though, Hiruzen Sarutobi knew that the current generation of ninja would simply fold under presure or die during a normal mission. So when he saw Team 7 head toward his office through his crystal ball, he knew to expect the worst.

"Its good to see you all Team 7, the next available D ranked mission is to catch Tora chan again..."

Naruto spoke up before anyone else, "With all due respect Hokage sama, I understand that the first few mission are for building teamwork. But I feel as though this team is more than ready for a mission beyond the normal scope of a genin team."

Iruka spoke up before his superior could chime in, "Though I slightly understand, the only ones that I can say are ready for the pressures of a true ninja are the boys. And that's only because they've been trained by a literal legendamong the civilians."

Naruto, Rend, and Sasuke cheered at this information, only to be cut off from their celebrations.

"Sorry Sasuke, I'm not including you in that group. Its Naruto and Rend I'm addressing."

"And what makes them more special than Sasuke kun?" Sakura asked.

"Here I thought an ex-civiliain like you would place a bit more pride in this information." Iruka said while shaking his head in shame. "Those two were trained by the only civilian to EVER face off head to head with a jounin ranked ninja and challenge them as an equal... I'd believe that you and Miki would aspire to surpass that precident!"

Sakura held her head down in shame while Miki started to respect the ramen chef even more than before.

The Third Hokage cut off any further comments by saying, " I'll allow a C ranked mission for this group only under the condition that they make sure to include every official member of the squad. That means that if ANY of you decide to sit this mission out for ANY reason, the entire group cannot take said mission and I'll assign this to another squad quicker than a thought!"

Even Kakashi had to gasp at the complete and utter power leaking from the statement that left no room for discussion.

"Team 7 shall escort bridge builder Tazuna to Wave Country and…" Hiruzen started, only to be interrupted by the client himself.

"So… THIS is the team you assign me? Two little girls, a queer, and a short little…. GODDAMNIT IS THAT A WOLF?"

"And the Fuckin wolf talks ya bastard!" Rend proclaimed proudly.

Immediately after, the bridge builder fainted. Naruto was mostly still angry about being called short, while the others sat and stewed over their insults. Rend felt a little victorious about making the man pass out, while Kakashi could only wonder exactly what he got himself into.

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><p>(These random stories at the end of the chapter that I'm starting now will have its place within the story, but that will be explained in later chapters.)<p>

**Omake 1 The Dream that starts it all**

The night before Naruto would demand his first C ranked mission, he found himself having a peculiar dream. It seemed real enough to be a memory, and yet it had its own theme music within the dream itself.

_**The Dreamscape**_

The blond headed young man stared openly at the large amount of people gathered on the plains before him. The man beside the leader of the group had most of his face concealed by his dark grey and tattered hood, leaving only his jagged teeth showing in a creepy smile. The bracelet he wore seemed like more of a restraint than jewelry stood out the most as he held his fist up high. As a matter of fact, everyone present on the plains held their right fist into the air in an almost militant display of togetherness. The woman beside the hooded man wore nothing but a nondescript black bra and a spiked collar, looking nearly as creepy as the man beside her. What struck Naruto the most was the fact that he saw himself standing at the head of the pack and couldn't find his brother anywhere within the pack of indescribable faces. He had no way of knowing that his brother was having the same dream at the same time, seeing a human standing as the leader of his group. Rend couldn't help but realize that even though he never saw this form before, that it was his human form. The similarities were far too striking to be a simple coincidence. Both of them could heard sounds that they could not explain building up as they head voices they could not place sing a specific tune.

"_People can no longer cover their eyes_  
><em>If this disturbs you then walk away<em>  
><em>You will remember the night you were struck by the sight of<em>  
><em>Ten Thousand fists in the air<em>"

_**Four A.M.**_

The two woke up at exactly the same time and exclaimed words faster than their minds could comprehend. After a few seconds of this, the duo calmed themselves and talked about the vivid dream they had. It was quick work for the two to realize the fact that they had the same dream. They even had the same seven handsigns looping in their heads, which made the confused and slightly fearful pair decided to document the information for later. The only information that was forgotten came from Rend himself, as he could not bring himself to remember what he looked like as a human.

Before falling asleep they both thought with wonder in their mind, "Ten Thousand Fists huh... A dream like that has to mean somethin..."


	14. Of Waves and Comradry 1

The wait was long, but I feel like I really did good with this chapter. The Wave Country arc was hard to write for some reason, but I have a good start now, so things will get interesting. By the way, I'll be starting a poll on my profile on whether or not Haku should be male or female. As of right now I can't think of a logical reason for a male Haku to follow Naruto back to Konoha without there being more gay jokes. So unless you have a reason that would work, then either choose male Haku and he dies or female Haku and she lives.

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><p>Sorry about the repost. I just had to say that I finally put the poll on my page. I made it and forgot to display it on my profile XD<p>

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><p><strong>CHAPTER 14<strong>

After returning to consciousness, Tazuna shook his head vigorously then sighed. "I hired ninja to assist me and save my country, so I should expect the unexpected…" the man thought as he slowly came to terms with the talking wolf. It was only due to his desperation that he could accept the information at hand, but his nation was much more important than even his sanity so he pressed onward.

"Finally done pissin yourself?" Rend smugly asked.

"You might be alright…" Regaining his rhythm, the bridge builder continued, "But look that blondie over there! He's clearly a failed Tetsujin knock-off!"

Rend's fur seemed to lose color and before any of the others knew it, Naruto ducked his body down will dashing forward. It was Tetsujin's trademark step-in. Kakashi simply watched, he didn't sense any intent to harm the man so he would do nothing to stop it. Tazuna's eyes widened, noticing the step-in was flawless and fearing what would come next. Naruto stopped once he knew he was an inch away from striking distance, and unleashed the same brutal combo that defeated Sasuke in the Academy test.

"While I'm glad you respect Ossan, don't you fucking DARE INSULT HIS ONLY STUDENT!" Naruto roared

Shocked once more, the man simply opted to be silent for the time being while hopefully regaining his buzz. The team was dismissed to pack for two or three weeks' worth of equipment and regroup at the gate at noon. Each of them headed out quickly, packing their things at an unusually fast pace. They all have different reasons to want to make a bit of free time before six. Sakura wanted to get more Intel on who this "Tetsujin" character is, Sasuke had similar thoughts but mostly wanted whoever they were to teach him instead. He NEEDED that type of power, though unconsciously he liked the idea of them training together. Miki wanted to talk to the Okami brothers about training methods so she could become stronger in her own way. Naruto and Rend simply wanted to spend a bit of time with Teuchi and Ayame before the mission. Since the first of the two were gathered their info rather quickly, the entire group managed to reach Ichiraku at the same time. The other two customers happened to be Shino and surprisingly Tazuna.

"and since you disrespected him, he woulda kicked ya ass if he was still a civilian." Teuchi was already mid reprimand

"It's not every day that somebody pops up in your old gear! How the hell was I supposed to know?" Tazuna countered

"By not underestimatin me cause I'm short! Drunk sonuva…" Naruto quipped

The bridge builder handed Naruto a bottle and said, "Here's an apology gift."

Ayame was already working on his ramen and away long enough to be too late to prevent what happened next. Naruto didn't even look at the bottle before downing it quickly, oblivious to the horrified expressions on every face except the two adults who were ecstatic. Things will get interesting REAL soon. Miki was the first to shrug off her shock and started talking to the Brawling chef about tactics, which surprised Sakura and made Sasuke notice what Naruto and Rend had already figured out. Miki was a true shinobi. With a well-placed question, Sakura interjected and changed the conversation to become about why he was famous. By now Ayame had brought out the food which Naruto started consuming at a slow pace for him. He was too busy trying to get his mind right to speak up at the moment and Rend was wondering how this little incident would end.

"Are you ok, Naruto?" Shino finally asked.

Naruto replied with a heavy handed slap on the bug user's shoulder, "Yup! I'm fuckin fabolusss!"

Rend just laughed. "All he needs now is a freak in the bed and a hotel room."

In a very unShino like display, he placed his arm in front of Miki. Said girl had already started a few of her special training sessions to allow her a vast skillset. With her first lessons being seduction, she immediately closed the distance between them and pressed herself against him. "Already staking your claim on me, Bug Boy? Isn't that cute?" Miki said while licking the side of his neck, causing him to crumple.

"Thass some GOOD shit there…. I'm impressed." Naruto said in drunken awe.

"What can I say? While being around you guys he's grown on me." She had the decency to blush.

Sasuke didn't show it, but he started feeling like an outsider in the midst of this seamless interaction.

Naruto started toward Sakura with surprising speed while stumbling a bit. "Why ain't you like her?" he said while letting his hand slide up her thigh. "Um sure you gots a lot too offer too." His trademark grin was distorted into a lewd look.

Her shocked state only lasted a short while before she slugged him in the face and charged him sloppily. Even while drunk, Naruto was trained for taijutsu so he dodged most of the blows. "So you likin it kinda rough huh?" he taunted as the fight made its way out of the Ichiraku. Within her rage, she somehow started to attack more efficiently. "You PERVERT!" Sakura yelled while starting to take advantage of his state of inebriation. "You lik em perverted too? Umma hafta take her off ya hands Sasuke!" Naruto countered, while sealing his fate. He turned and gave Sasuke a smug expression, which gave a gigantic hole in his defenses. Sakura placed a heavy blow to the back of his head, which made him hit the floor snoring.

"Now that that's over with, wake him up and give him at least six bowls of Ramen ready. Can't have him disappointin me on his first C Rank mission because he was too drunk to perform" Teuchi chimed in

Sasuke and the recently conscious Shino picked him up and brought him back to his seat, using the food as smelling salts to wake him up. Sakura made a bit of distance from the inebriated blond with good reason and Miki made the mental note to stay away from him when he drinks. She had already heard that he was a hardcore flirt, but seeing it in action made the information more potent. With more food in his body to soak up the liquor, he had the sense to know what he did.

"Sorry bout that Sakura… I went too far." Naruto said with his head down.

"Try that again and you'll be missing a very important part."

"My bad."

The rest of the time spent at Ichiraku was spent sobering up Naruto and the others learning more about Teuchi's exploits before becoming a chef. Team Seven and their still amused client made their way to the gate to see that Kakashi was apparently ten minutes early. He watched in interest as he saw the ragtag group approaching. Sakura was glaring a Naruto while Tazuna and Rend was smirking at the duo, Sasuke didn't have his usual scowl today in favor of a slightly sullen look, and Miki seemed to be thinking of something serious.

"I assume since you're hear that you've prepared yourself already, so well head out immediately." Kakashi stated in a professional voice.

The walk was mostly uneventful, save the recently inebriated bridge builder trying to give the now sober blond. Sakura stopped this immediately with a glare that made her sensei proud. Miki was mulling over her conversation with Teuchi about tactics, wholeheartedly wanting to become powerful in her own right. Sasuke found himself not thinking about power, but wondering if he should stop sealing himself off from others. Kakashi simply observed the changes in his genin before notice a puddle of water that stood out on such a sunny day. He kept moving forward though, thinking that he could test how prepared they were for their ninja careers. Because of that thought, he was glad when the enemy commenced their attack. He let them enemy appear to kill him off, to gauge his team and to figure out who the ninja were targeting. The others could only see chains "wrap" around his body before the two enemies yanked the chains to leave the man's body in bloody little pieces.

"One down…" The enemy nin said calmly.

There was a group unified screaming of "Sensei!" while the ninja quickly made their way toward Naruto, thinking he was be another easy kill. This was furthest from the true since he and Rend sprang into action, stopping the duo's combination kill. Naruto rushed toward the ninja attempting the pincer formation from his left side with a liver blow that was barely dodged. Rend unsheathed his weapon and attempted a swift downward cleave that was dodged as well. The other three ninja were frozen, though admittedly Sasuke froze only because he was startled out of his inner musings. Miki and Sakura just couldn't handle the bloody sight. Naruto stepped in on his opponent, bobbing and weaving out of range of the claw attacks while Rend noticed his brother's actions and drove the two ninja far apart from each other. The enemies were too surprised by the competent skills of the pair to notice that their chains length was stretched completely out, so when they attempted to dodge the chain yanked the two awkwardly into attack range. This allow Naruto to unleash a swift combo that dazed his opponent enough to drive the two closer together. What they didn't expect was for Kakashi to appear between the two and quickly knock them unconscious.

"Naruto, Rend, great work. As for the rest of you… Sasuke you were too lost in your own thoughts to notice your surroundings and because of that you froze. Miki and Sakura, you both failed to do anything due to being squeamish. That is NOT allowed when you are a ninja. We fight, we live, and we DIE around this type of display. You survived so I won't be too hard on you, but make it your mission to prevent this from EVER happening again. Am I clear?"

The two nodded and Sasuke held a look of genuine remorse. Thinking of such things made him weak in battle, and he resolved himself to never be a hindrance again.

"In order to assist your teammates, I want you two who acted immediately to tell the others how and why you could continue the mission."

Naruto spoke up, "It's because of two things actually Sensei. One, Teuchi Ossan prepared us for these types of things and said that it's a man's duty to possess an unbreakable will. Two…" Naruto started to look a bit ashamed.

Rend took over, showing his mature side and demeanor "Two, every now and then the civilians and some ninja would let their hatred for us to be expressed physically. Because of that, we both know from experience how bloody things get…"

Both of their eyes shined with painful experience far beyond something that people their age should have. Kakashi made a mental note to talk to the Hokage about this.

"And Tazuna we have to have ourselves a talk." His tone leaked a bit of barely contained anger. "It's apparent that those ninja were after you and their skills were chunin level so this would be considered at least B ranked. So you lied about the mission. Tell me why I shouldn't end this mission here and now?"

"I knew that there would be someone after me… I knew that this mission was worth more than I paid. Just now that Wave Country is super poor right now, and this was all that we could afford. The bridge that I'm working on is our only hope for a stable economy with Gatou around…"

"Gatou, the owner of the shipping company?"

"The very same, but he's got his hand in multiple illegal practices from drug dealing to slave trading. He has control over all of Wave's trading."

"So in essence your bridge threatens to open up other means of trade so he wants you dead." Turning toward his team Kakashi asked, "Well what do you think? Should we continue?"

The expressions on their faces ranged from sorrow for the people of wave, disgust at Gatou's ways, and anger toward the way that he bullied the citizens. The decision was unanimous. "We'll continue on!"

The group continued on until they were led toward a well hidden boat with barely enough room for the entire group to ride in. This would be their transport into Wave Country. After traveling to a port, the ferryman made his leave and the ninja continued on their path. Kakashi and Miki were positioned north of the bridge builder, with Naruto and Rend guarding his side, and Sasuke and Sakura guarding his back. Naruto noticed a bit of movement in the grass and flung a shuriken. Checking his target, it proved to be a false alarm. After walking for a bit more Sasuke noticed movement and launched his own attack, startling a snow rabbit. The boy just hmphed and kept going, but Kakashi noticed the oddity. Its coloring was more suited for wintertime and it was clearly summer. This observation was followed by a faint whistling sound. Kakashi yelled out, "Get down!"

Everyone dropped to the ground while assisting Tazuna in crouching (yanking him to the floor) as a gigantic blade flew were their heads just were and clashed into a tree. A man stood atop the massive blade, back turned to the group, and looking back toward them with an unreadable expression. The man wore snow based camouflage boots and sleeves, with no shirt and light blue pants. The most noticeable details were the fact that his face was bandaged and that he had no eyebrows.

"Well if it isn't the Demon of the Mist, Zabuza Momochi. You'll all have to stay out of this, he is out of your league. This will be challenging, unless I use this…"

Kakashi pulled his forehead protector, he revealed his second eye. His pupil was red, with three comma-like dots in his eyes. It was the Sharingan. The identified man known as Zabuza spoke up, "So you must be Sharingan Kakashi… Sorry, but the old man is mine." He started turning again. The jounin called out, "Surround and protect Tazuna. That is the teamwork here." Zabuza snatched his weapon out of the tree and swiftly stepped atop the water with one of his hands high in the air and the other with a handsign.

"**Ninpou: Kirigakure no Jutsu**."

With that said, a mist started to cover the area. "Be alert! Momochi is an expert of silent killing!" Kakashi warned, hoping that his genin would survive this encounter. "Eight points. Liver. Lungs. Spine.

Cervical vein. Neck. Brains. Kidneys. Heart. Which one should I go after?" Zabuza said from an unidentifiable position. Kakashi readied himself for a fight, and the pressure in the air rose significantly. The genin found themselves almost weighed down by it, falling deep into a despair that was enough to drive them crazy. Sasuke started to reach for his kunai to end his suffering when Kakashi shook him out of his desperation. "Don't worry Sasuke, I'll protect you all even if it kills me. I don't let my comrades die."

The simple speech saved the group from the oppressive feeling in the air and they fell right back into the shinobi mindset. Zabuza used the distraction to appear between the genin and Tazuna, and attempted to cleave them all down until Kakashi intercepted and stabbed him with a kunai. Said Zabuza exploded with a pop and droplets of water as the real one appeared behind Kakashi and cleaved him in half, only to see the same effect as earlier. Kakashi had copied his Water clone. The Leaf jounin held his kunai on Zabuza's neck and said, "It's over."

"Impressive. You copied my** Mizu Bunshin** and had it say that little speech in order to draw me out while you hid in the mist. Nice plan…. But." Zabuza said before bursting into water.

The real Demon of the Mist was right behind him and already slicing for the kill when Kakashi dipped beneath the blade, but was countered with a kick to the side of his head. He landed into the water nearby and attempted to get out. His attempt to get out was interrupted when he heard. "Fool.** Suiro no Jutsu**." The water around him swirled and captured him inside a bubble filled with water, with Zabuza's hand stuck within.

"With the worst of you out of the way, time to get rid of the children.** Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu**." Watching as another clone rose from the water Zabuza spoke again. "Wearing your little headbands, playin ninja… A real ninja is someone who has had many run-ins with death and still stands to fight again! Until you're good enough to be in my handbook then you are NOT real ninja!"

After his little speech, he used his superior speed to dash toward Naruto with a swift kick. Naruto dodged on instinct alone before being struck with a more efficient follow up kick that knocked his headband off and sent him skidding back. The others were worried about their comrade, as Kakashi yelled, "Take Tazuna and run! There's no way you can face him!" Naruto got up and noticed right off where his leaf headband was, trapped under the missing nin's foot. His resolve grew even stronger as he stood tall, before using his step-in and suddenly leaning backwards with a retreating dash. Zabuza was surprised by this seemingly useless tactic until he said the genin next to his squad placing his forehead protector back on. The will of fire shined brightly in his students' eyes and even trapped he had no choice to feel proud.

"We won't run!" Naruto and Rend shouted in unison.

"A ninja who abandons the mission" Miki added.

"Is trash!" Sakura yelled, for once not screeching.

"But a ninja who abandons a comrade." Sasuke stated

The all said in unison, "IS WORSE THAN TRASH!"

Zabuza was more intrigued than anything, so he let the genin start their counterattack. This was a foolish maneuver. Naruto and Rend both used the **Kage Bunshin** to replicate themselves fifty times for a joint attack while Sasuke channeled a large amount of chakra into his handsigns. Miki started her own handsigns, while Sakura started throwing kunai at a speed that would reach the enemy before her comrades. Her analytical mindset plotted the trajectories in a way that wouldn't harm her comrades and it served to throw off the missing nin's concentration. Naruto and Rend's clones went forth with a fearsome attack coming from a pair of genin. Rend's usage of his wakizashi and Naruto's taijutsu were beyond that of normal genin abilities. Zabuza quickly started to take down as many clones as he could before they suddenly jumped back and he heard. "**Katon: Housenka no Jutsu**!" Sasuke's unveiled jutsu sent for a large volley of small fireballs that chased Zabuza to the point of defending.

What the missing nin didn't notice is the slight sound of rumbling coming toward him due to the sounds of the many clones moving around. "Mole tactics:** Earthen Spike**!" Miki cried out as her attack attempted to pierce the real Zabuza's hand, which forced him to dodge and release Kakashi. The true fight had just begun.

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><p>Since the two haven't had a dream this chapter, there will be no hidden scene this time. And I will also add that if I create a filler that it will be more original than you're most likely used to. I hope you like my slight escape from canon.<p> 


	15. Of Training and Inari's Past

I apologize for the horrendously long time it took to get this chapter out and on the site. Part of it was due to a lot of internet problems that kept screwin me over. And the other part was due to the fact that Wave are annoys the HELL out of me. As a reader and a writer, I've seen the Wave Country Arc so many times that nearly nothing would seem original. I've even seen a story where this particular arc became a full on war. But rest assured, it will be much easier to continue, now that I've gotten this far. Most of my original elements have started to be set in place, so it'll be easier to update with my own story elements.

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><p><strong>CHAPTER 15<strong>

Immediately after being released, Zabuza made sure to get himself out of striking range of Kakashi. Once he neared the water, he created two more of his Mizu Bunshin to protect his sides as he prepared to engage the Copy Ninja once more. Naruto had started to quicken his footwork as Rend went to assist his jounin sensei. Sakura kept guard of Tazuna, but her eyes were locked on the battle with intent to support them if necessary. One of the clones of the missing nin were currently evading more earthen spikes from Miki and the other charged toward Sasuke. The Uchiha prodigy knew that his fire jutsu would be worthless against a water clone, so he brandished a kunai to defend long enough for to form a counterattack. But it would be unnecessary.

The ignored blond started his charge toward the clone with his right fist nearly dragging the ground. His body twisted upward as his fist rocketed from its position and into the clones chin. "Sky Uppercut!" Naruto yelled out as the Bunshin found itself propelled into the air before dispelling into droplets of water. The clone attempting to assault Miki was far too preoccupied with dodging Miki's assault to notice Sakura's well place kunai throw aimed at his neck and it too was soon dispelled. The original Zabuza found himself found himself pushed back by the copy ninja, until he was struck down by senbon needles from behind and a hunter nin descended from their perch in the trees.

"I have to thank you nin, I have been searching for an opportunity to kill him for quite a while" the masked ninja stated.

"From the mask, I'll take it that you're a Mist hunter ninja. Correct?" Kakashi asked for clarification.

"Indeed you are correct."

The squad for the most part was more focused on getting the mission completed than killing the man so the genin said silent.

"Your mission is now over, and now I shall dispose of the body." The masked one said as they hoisted Zabuza's fallen body onto their shoulder and disappeared.

Tazuna was starting to cheer his gratitude until he took a good look at the squad leader. Kakashi was visibly out of breath and even from a few feet away it was obvious that he was sweating at a high rate. "Keeping myself aware within that prison took a bit more chakra than I thought, plus the Sharingan isn't the easiest on the reserves either…" Kakashi thought as he unconsciously started to slump forward. Naruto and Sasuke quickly got to either side of the man and caught him. Seeing the worried expression on their faces he used his patented eye smile and said, "Don't worry, it's just a bit of chakra exhaustion." Not long after, the man passed out and left his genin to carry him to the client's house.

_**Tazuna's house**_

Kakashi jumped up quickly upon waking up, startling Miki and Sakura with Sasuke sitting calmly. Strangely enough though, Naruto and Rend were standing at either end of the bed he rested on with a posture that displayed great focus. The jounin's face showed his mental turmoil as he replayed the accounts of the battle with Zabuza all the way up to the point when the hunter nin disappeared with the body. Disappeared with the body… The gears in Kakashi's head started to turn and click into alignment after a bit of pondering. He then enlightened his team to his findings.

"Zabuza is still alive."

Visibly shaken, Sakura ask, "But how? You told us yourself that he had no pulse."

His response was quick and his tone professional. "Tell me, what is the purpose of a hunter nin?"

"To dispose of a missing nin's body in order to protect the secrets within the ninja's body. The general method of disposal is fire jutsu, but one of the main procedures is to… dispose on site." She said as the color rapidly drained from her face.

"Correct. Also, the supposed hunter used senbon needles for the "kill" which are only lethal when they strike certain areas of the body. The accomplice placed him in a near death state. It may take about a week for him to recover, but the Demon of the Mist still lives."

That statement got a reaction out of everyone except for Naruto and Rend, still focused in their meditative poses. His curiosity won out over his sense of procedure and Kakashi turned toward Miki and asked, "What exactly is goin on with those two?" Miki regained composure shortly after and started to recount the events after the jounin's chakra exhaustion.

_**Flashback**_

The situation was far from ideal, with the one jounin of the squad unconscious and the rest of the team in varying degrees of fatigue. Sakura hadn't used enough chakra to feel a drain but the stress was taking its toll on her, Miki was barely at half capability, and though Sasuke could still fight on he had to assist carrying Kakashi. Naruto and Rend were the stamina freaks of the team, but no one could expect two genin to hold off an entire squad of enemy ninja so even fatigued the group hurried their way toward Tazuna's house. Luckily for them there were no threats on the way, most likely due to placing utmost faith in Zabuza completing his mission.

As they entered the client's house, Tazuna snapped into work mode and quickly cleared out a room for the ninja to recuperate. Sasuke stood or sat next to Tazuna the entire time as Miki and Sakura worked toward getting Kakashi laid down comfortable. Naruto spoke up, "So how does chakra exhaustion work?"

Feeling wound up due to the recent battle snapped, "Its when the body barely has enough chakra for basic functions, didn't you learn this in the academy?"

Not flinching for a second he replied, "So with a bit more chakra he'll be up faster."

Sakura was about to hit him in the top of the head, but noticed that he and Rend both quickly stood at either side of the bed and began expelling their chakra as if it were just now unlocked. What the others didn't notice was that both of them put their Purifying Breathing into effect in order to saturate the room with chakra that they all could breathe in and use as their own.

_**Flashback End**_

"Naruto, Rend. You can end the technique now." Kakashi said not long after being filled in. He still didn't know what they were doing, but considering the fact that he had much more chakra than he should have after being exhausted he could assume it came from those two.

"We couldn't have ya down for the count while we get our asses handed to us." Rend said first.

"Plus Jiji said that we have unheard of amounts of chakra so we figure, why not share?" Naruto added.

"Because you'll need all that you have for training. We can safely assume that the hunter nin was Zabuza's accomplice so we need to make sure you genin are up for the task. Get ready to leave out Asap."

Team Seven walked through the poverty torn streets of Wave as the hunted for their next training ground. They made their stop at a body of water deep enough to drown in. Kakashi swiftly started to tie each of his team together then stated, "Today we make miracles." Everyone sweatdropped until they saw the man walk atop the water until he reached the middle. Back in professional mode he continued, "Water walking takes the principles of the tree walking control exercise and applies it to a unsteady surface. And to answer any question why you're all tied up, it's because you all have to stay afloat as a team. If one of you struggles, then the team feels the ripples in the water and will have to focus harder to stay afloat. Just the same way that in combat, a Konoha nin is supposed to cover their comrades' backs. The goal is for you all as a team to stay afloat for 15 minutes and add 10 minutes more each time you succeed to reach your set goal.

_**Tazuna's Home, That Afternoon.**_

Tsunami, Tazuna's daughter, greeted the team of ninja with a cooked meal and a smile once they returned. The genin could only wearily return it, but gratefully sat down at the table and engaged in lighthearted, albeit competitive, conversation.

"PHEW! That training was tiring!" Naruto said as he was about to tear into the food that was prepared.

"That's rich, coming from the person who kept screwing things up. Even the 'Pup Wonder' over there had better control than you!" Sasuke retorted.

"Screw/Fuck YOU!" Naruto and Rend said in unison. "You try expelling and cleansing chakra enough to help with chakra exhaustion!"

"Language Rend! And be mindful that you all did quite well for the first day." Kakashi reasoned.

The small figure entered the room and said, "You're all foolish, why train so hard if you're only going to die. No one can defeat Gatou."

"Inari! Be polite to the guests! They came all the way here to help against him, show some respect." Tsunami reprimanded.

"You KNOW he's too strong! All of this is POINTLESS! We and THEY might as well give up now, it'll hurt less…" Inari said as he turned to walk off.

Naruto would have absolutely none of that. He dashed toward the child before Kakashi flashed in between them. "Kakashi sensei, trust me, I know what I'm doing here." Naruto whispered as he telegraphed a punch which Kakashi acted as if it hit. The Nine-Tailed Jinchuuriki continued after Inari as Kakashi made it seem that he was unconscious. The others were too stunned to move and Naruto was pursuing with a purpose.

_**Inari's Room**_

Naruto entered the child's room slash sanctuary to see him in front of a television playing a video game. He almost let it anger him beyond reason until he looked closer. Inari was crying, and holding onto the game case for dear life. It was called 'Overmind: Beyond Human Limits' and a small tear out of a portrait could be seen. Upon noticing that, Naruto immediately calmed down and took the boy's headphones off.

"That man, he was important to you wasn't he?" Naruto asked in a subdued tone.

"What of it? It's not like you'd know what it feels to lose someone!" Inari retorted.

"You're right, I don't know what that feels like…" Inari nearly smirked, but Naruto kept speaking. "For the longest in my life, I had no one. No mother, no Grandfather to give a damn how I felt. Ji… Hokage sama cared, but most of the times his duty to the village kept him away so in the end, until Rend came along I had no one. At times, even though I was just a child younger than you, I wondered if people would rejoice if I were to die." Naruto found it hard for him to speak for a few seconds.

Frantically Inari asked, "But if that's the case, why are you here? I don't understand!"

Calming himself down, Naruto answered, "Because I got tired of crying. It hurts when it feels like nothing will ever go your way, but even you will get to the point where you're tired of feeling sorry for yourself. I'm hated in my village and every time I see the hatred in the people's eyes it hurts, but I fight. There are people who want me to succeed now, there are people who I don't want to feel the pain I've felt in life and because of that I fight. Regardless of what I have to go through, I will do whatever it takes to protect their happiness. Rend, Miki, Sakura chan, and even Sasuke…. There are my precious people, so even if I die I will NOT let them lose their chance at happiness!"

Awed by the conviction in his words and the free flowing tears in the young ninja's eyes, Inari started to open up. "Your group wasn't the first to stand up to Gatou. My papa Kaiza was once the hero of Wave country, but as soon as Gatou came and took over." The young boy was crying at this point. "He killed him! Publically killed him in order to enforce his rule over us! Him and his mercenaries will kill you all! You seem nicer than the others, so I don't wanna see you die like my PAPA!"

Even with Teuchi's teachings about how men rarely showed tears, he let a few stream down his cheek. The pessimistic child wasn't denying their strengths; he was just as child who couldn't stand to see another person die in front of him. Naruto pulled the young boy into a hug and broke down. "NEVER AGAIN! NEVER WILL I ALLOW GATOU TO TAKE SOMEONE ELSE FROM YOU!" Naruto yelled loud enough for everyone in the building to hear. Unbeknownst to him, his eyes became crimson as he spoke. The next morning, Naruto's increased focus made me the rock that kept his teammates steady during training, and even afterwards he returned to the spot to increase his chakra control to ensure that his promise would not be broken.

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><p><strong>Omake<em> Overmind: Beyond Human Limits.<em>**

**__**"So what's with the game you're playin?" Naruto asked after calming down.

"Its called Overmind, and it was the last present Papa gave me before he... passed away." Inari replied

"What's it about?"

"Its about a civilian who gained access to powers people other than shinobi should not have." During the explanation, Inari's eyes started to light up a bit more. "It was said that this game was something that some shinobi didn't want their children playing. It revolves around the main character 'Rashaad "Warrent' who starts using the energy of his mind and spirit to become slightly more skilled and eventually become shunned by humankind in general."

Without even asking, Naruto picked up the controller and aimlessly tapped the buttons until he got the hang of it all. The 'Rashaad Warrent' character's attacks were pretty efficient even though they tended to have openings that shinobi would not allow. The skills he had were also impressive, such as his ability to make his energy within his fist vibrate his opponents' body to stop their movement.

Because of the game, even when Naruto was dead tired after training he would spend time with Inari and play. The civilian main character had the same "never say die" attitude he possessed so he tried to help the boy reach the end, even if it was just a game. Even still, the slightly psychotic laugh that played every time you loaded the game was unnerving. Naruto dove into his training in order to not only keep his promise, but to surpass the games character. Because if a civilian could eventually grow that strong, then with his use of chakra his dream was no where near as silly as people tried to make it seem.


	16. Of Inari's hope and First Meetings

First off to my Fox and Wolf readers, I gotta apologize for takin so damn long to update. I won't go into why I haven't done so until now because it would sound kinda Kakashi-ish. But I will say that I won't be taking a damn month to right one chapter and if I need a hiatus you'll know beforehand.

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><p><em><strong>Fourth Day of Training<strong>_

Team Seven had few problems with the concentration, their problem instead was keeping themselves focused despite small distractions. Even with those though the group held steady. Sakura and Miki's smaller chakra reserves made it a bit easier to control the amounts in use. Sasuke's reserves were moderately high for a genin and growing, but his natural talent allowed him to grasp it quickly. Rend, being an Okami, was naturally gifted with control but his bond with Naruto expanded his reserves to vast heights. The blond himself was only excelling with his comrades due to his determination to bring a child's hope back.

His determination was so strong that only when Inari himself came to spend a bit of time with him, would he stay inside for the evening with his team. Times like those were either spent talking about the boy's father or Naruto talking about the ramen chef who became like a father to him. This was done while playing the peculiar game that Inari seemed to be lost in.

"Naruto Nii, did I ever tell you why this game is important to me." Inari asked, talking as if they had known each other forever.

"Nah, I don't think so."

"Well, when Papa saved the village during the flood everyone gave him gifts and money to thank him for saving us. He decided to a lot of that money on this PlayNation 3 and this game for me. Papa said that even though its bloody, that it would teach me something important about people."

Naruto continued the night conversing with the boy until he fell asleep. Since Inari was still young, Tazuna and Tsunami both were still up and chatting with Kakashi when he came down the stairs.

"I can't thank you ninja enough for protecting my father, and my little Inari is quite taken with your Naruto." Tsunami said in a delighted tone that both shinobi could tell hadn't been used in a while. Sakura told them all the condition of the town the day she protected the bridge builder.

Naruto spoke up, surprising only the two civilians. "Inari's a good kid, just recovering from the pain of loss."

"I'm glad you can understand, Got a little scared when you exploded. It was super surprising!" Tazuna commented.

"It's just that Our Naruto's life hasn't been easy in the least either, but that's his story to tell." Kakashi added. "So what was the topic of discussion today, Papa again?"

Ignoring the playful jab Naruto replied. "Kinda but not really. He told me about that game of his and why it's important to him. I think it's called Overmind: Beyond Human Limits."

Kakashi's eye widened. "So an eight-year old holes up in a room and plays Overmind? That's a scary thought!"

"What's scary about a game?"

"A renowned ninja from the field of Torture and Interrogation heard about the game and decided to put to bed the rumors about it so he played it. After finishing the game he came out with a report released throughout the Elemental Nations."

_**Overmind Report**_

The Overmind game is by far one of the most brutal games I've seen anyone come up with, so the myths about the game being something to keep away from children are slightly grounded. But one glaringly obvious facet about it is the lesson woven into the game itself. You play as a civilian by the name of Rashaad Warrent in a futuristic society with no ninja. He learns through trial and tribulation of a power he truly believes is capable of helping many others. You're aim is to guide him down his path to gaining more power, and watch as he loses more of his link with humanity as he grows stronger.

Now one cannot say that the game isn't farfetched. It's about a human without chakra who eventually does things ninja aren't capable of. But it shows an ugly side of humanity. People hate what they can't understand, they attack and hinder those who attempt to rise above them, and most of all people fear what they cannot control. Rashaad evolves from a hard working average civilian into someone seen as an existence far removed from humanity. The people against him shatter his life in the most brutal ways. His way to make money and sustain his way of life is taken. His friends are eventually turned against him. The exact people who he taught to use his ability attempted to kill him and when that failed they killed his family. On top of that, the makers of the game somehow believably make the shattered man into someone who STILL wanted to do good for people in general. (Spoiler: This is shown when as a final boss of the game, Rashaad faces off against a true demon to stop its influence of the masses.)

As a reviewer of this game, I say that the dynamics and the storyline easily make you empathize with the man who loses everything but as a parent I say keep this away from children. Not only does Rashaad become a violent killer which makes the gore content of this game astoundingly high, but the trouble he goes through is shown as the direct cause of his personality switch. Overmind deals with complex matters of human nature which will affect those whose minds are easier to influence.

_**Tazuna's Home**_

Tazuna found himself unable to speak due to shock.

"Kaiza bought it sure enough, but it wasn't supposed to be a game Inari could play until he hit the age of thirteen. It's just that he was so broken by Kaiza's death that the only thing that stopped the tears was the game his father left him. After so long of taking the game away from him and learning that he found it again, we just stopped trying. Just the thought of it makes me feel like a bad parent…" Tsunami explained without being asked a thing

"Being young myself I can say that even though it would have been better to keep trying to hide it, he would have kept searching for it. And to somewhat ease your fears, he isn't at the gory part yet. But it may be good for you two to check on him every now and then. Since he plays it, help him understand the message behind the game instead of letting him try to grasp it while surrounded by the gore." Kakashi spoke up after a short silent.

"Inari won't be influenced by that game, I know it!"

Kakashi frowned underneath his mask and inquired. "And how can you say that for sure?"

Naruto's eyes softened as he spoke, "Because I've spent time with him. The more he opened up to me and noticed my determination the more he started to believe in people like his father again. He places his hope in the guy seeing him doing good even while hurting others so he thinks that Rashaad will redeem himself. You know what that say? It says that Tazuna san, Tsunami san, and Kaiza san have taught him well enough to know right from wrong! He's been raised well enough to not allow himself to become like Rashaad. Believe it!" (1)

The group of adults and ninja talked for a bit more before leaving Kakashi to guard the family through the night as the others slept. Tazuna and his daughter made up their minds to guide Inari through his pain of loss and make certain that their boy grew up well. Naruto quickly fell asleep to make sure he could train hard tomorrow, but not before thinking about buying that game.

_**The Sixth Morning**_

Naruto trained a bit too thoroughly the last evening and fell asleep on his way back to Tazuna's House. His sleeping form was covered with birds who seemed just as peaceful as he did in his slumber. That was, until he started mumbling in his sleep. The birds themselves didn't move until someone approached Naruto with their hand posed for a knife hand strike aimed for his throat. The person hesitated for a while, giving an opening for an awkward event.

_**Naruto's Dream**_

While asleep, Naruto found himself facing the woman who he found himself constantly fleeing from. There was little distance from them and he knew he couldn't run so he took the time to take in her appearance. The woman he addressed as Danger was about six inches taller than him with straight crimson hair that flowed past her shoulders. She wore an plain white blouse and a pair of blue shorts that did nothing to hide her generous curves.

Since she had said nothing yet he allowed his eyes to linger a bit longer than he himself had expected, then promptly blushed and turned away. Once he stopped "perving on her" as he would call it, he heard the subtle sniffling anyone could tell was crying. Once he leaned in a bit she quickly wrapped her arms around him and started sobbing into Naruto's chest. Her shaky legs left her slumped down enough to make her shorter than him for a time.

"Why?... Why do you always run from me? Am I not attractive enough for you?"

"N..no that's not it at all!" Naruto replied, hating to see any woman cry.

"I know we started on the wrong foot, but I really do want to get to know you!" She looked into his eyes with adoration. "For you to know me..."

Naruto found himself staring directly into her coal dark eyes and unable to look away. Her legs gave way and the two of them stumbled to the ground but she still continued on her path. Naruto, who fell completely back sat up to meet her eyes again and wrapped his arms around her waist...

_**Outside of the Dream**_

The undisguised "hunter nin" spent a bit too much time looking at the face of the young ninja that lay completely defenseless below. The nin was not prepared for what happened next. Naruto, still dreaming shot up and placed his arms around the crouching ninja's waist and captured their lips. The hunter found themselves too shocked by the sudden movement and kiss at first to react at first, but then let out a very feminine scream and slapped him across the face before jumping back. Naruto's first sight waking up was a jet black haired, brown eyed beauty whose lips were locked with his before he got slapped.

Cheeks reddened by a blush and keeping the civilian "disguise" the hunter nin cried out, "You bastard! You took my first kiss!"

"I'm sorry Im sorry Im sorry I kissed your soft lips! I mean I'm sorry..even your lips are cute. I mean I'm sorry I enjoyed it so much! I mean! Please don't hurt me?" Naruto rambled out, unaware of the growing redness of his victim's face.

The blush was forced away. "No, it's my fault for being too close to you."

Naruto saw a flash of skin as the beauty straightened out their clothes. "Nah, its mine for being weird I guess... What were you doing out here?"

"I was gathering herbs for a friend of mine who's hurt."

Naruto made himself busy by helping out to earn forgiveness.

"What about you? Why are you here this time of the morning?"

"Before I fell asleep I was training!"

"I noticed the headband you wear, so you're a ninja? That's incredible!"

Naruto wiped the tip of his nose in embarrassment.

"Why are you training?"

"Because I gotta get stronger!"

"But you look pretty strong already."

"Thanks for the compliment, but this isn't enough..."

"Why...is that?"

"So that I can become the best ninja in my village! I'll make the Brawling Taijutsu style known as the best there is! And right now, I have something to prove to someone."

"Are you doing this for yourself or is it for someone else?"

Naruto simply looked confused and earned a giggle that he found cute. "What the hell's so funny?"

"Do you have someone who's important to you?"

Naruto sat and wondered for a while. "What does she mean by that? Wait... is she comin on to me?"

"If..i...if ya..you're alright with me, I can be that one for you..." Naruto stated, stuttering but sincerely.

"Waitwhatno! That's not what I meant." Regained composure. "I'm not putting you down or anything but you misunderstood. When a person has something important to protect, that's when they truly become strong."

"That's somethin I know for a fact..."

"Then I'm certain you will become strong. Let's meet again somewhere."

A little too enthusiastically he replied. "I'm looking forward to it!"

"Oh, by the way... I'm a boy."

For a second, Naruto was about to freak out but he stated. "I gotta say otherwise on that one..."

Surprised the hunter nin turned around. "And why do you think I'm lying to you?"

"Because... When you were straightening up your clothes earlier... Your...bandages." Naruto whispered the last part.

"What are you talking about?"

"Your chest binding was a little loose, and I saw..."

Turning red once more, the woman asked with an annoyed tone. "What you're name you little pervert?"

"Naruto Uzumaki! The man you'll fall in love with one day!"

Between giggles at his blatant proposal, she replied. "Haku. My name's Haku, Little Naruto."

She could hear Naruto's protests at her nickname for him as she walked of. Haku hated the fact that he learned about her gender, but understood that little harm would come of it. Zabuza told her to hide it due to the fact that the mercenaries they worked with were less likely to set their sights on a boy. Another reason she didn't mind was the warmth she felt from his lips. Zabuza kept her safe but made her into a tool, so the contact and the emotion poured into the kiss was a novel feeling for her. He was an enemy, but she was treated like a human for the first time since her family's disaster.

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><p>I know that this chapter was a bit fillerish but I felt it was necessary to end it here. That means that the fight on the bridge can take up its own chapter and the Wave Arc can meet its conclusion in the same one. It'll sync better this way I think.<p> 


	17. Author Note

This will be the multi story Author note to let my readers know I didn't skydive without a parachute and die. The unintended hiatus I took was pretty beneficial even though I wish I woulda got more writing done. While I was gone, I saw one of my uncles get married and my sister enlisted into the army. Other family shit got in the way, but I doubt you really care about all that so I'll head into the updates.

**Void's OverMind**: Chapter 7 is in the works right now, just gotta make sure I don't fly too far away from canon too soon to create strong enough roots to the story. It has to be believable so I wanna be sure it doesn't get too off track.

**PsychoDrama**: That story will be the next one I update. I'll admit right off the bat that it won't be a harem story even though Fox and Wolf will have the Clan Restoration Act thing goin on. I mean, it makes sense to strengthen bloodlines, but this Naruto aint quite one for that sort of thing.

**Fox and Wolf**: Its giving me hell again. That said, I think I'm right about over the troublesome patch on the climax of the Wave Arc. Sad thing is that the plan I have for Psychodrama's Wave Arc seems a helluva lot more easy to write. Also, the noticable deviations from canon are coming soon and will hopefully be something that you as reader will enjoy greatly. Since this is the story of mine with the most hits, I hope to get a bit more constructive criticism so that I can improve this and my other stories.

**Final Fantasy VIII: Unjunctioned**: This project doesnt even have a chapter up yet, but once I get my other stories on a workable update schedule (or at least start updating more frequently) this will be the next project. Zell Dincht, my favorite character, will start to mature after revealing Seifer's connection with Garden which will lead to controversy within his team and a new path toward the strength to defeat Ultimecia.


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